Getting started
This guide offers advice on using the Harvard referencing style, which is an author-date style. The Harvard style used at Monash University is based on the Australian Government’s Style Manual, referred to throughout this document as the Style Manual. The Style Manual was updated in 2020 and is available online.
Our interactive online tutorials can help you understand the basics of citing and referencing, and why it's important.
Elements of citing and referencing in Harvard style
Two of the main reasons why we use referencing styles are to acknowledge our sources and to give readers the information they need to find the sources for themselves. This requires two elements: citations and a reference list.
- Use in-text citations to avoid plagiarism and show how your work is influenced by others. You write these citations in the body of your assignment.
- In-text citations include the author's surname (or name of organisation) and the publication year, enclosed in parentheses.
- The citation format changes depending on the source you are citing, and whether you emphasise the author or the information.
- Provide a reference list of everything you cited on a new page at the end of your assignment.
- References are placed in alphabetical order by author, and have a specific format you need to follow.
- Each reference includes information like the author’s name, publication year, title of work, and publication details, to enable the reader to find the referenced work.
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