Create a spot-on reference in Harvard
General rules
In the general case, a bibliographic reference to a book according to the Harvard citation style contains the following elements: name(s) of the author(s), year of publication, book title, edition number (except for the first edition), place of publication, and name of publisher. Also, when appropriate, the names of editors, translators, and other contributors are included in the reference.
For a book accessed online, the DOI or URL address and the date of access are to be indicated.
No information is provided on the number of pages or ISBN.
How to cite in a list of references
For the principles of indicating the names of authors, editors, translators, and other contributors in references, see this article.
Book with an author (authors)
For referencing the print version of a book, use the following template:
Author(s), (year). Title. Edition number. City: Publisher.
For a book accessed online, the template below should be used:
Author(s), (year). Title [online]. Edition number. City: Publisher. [Viewed date viewed]. Available from: doi: DOI
If the book has no DOI and is available via an ordinary URL address, the appropriate element of the reference is modified as follows:
Available from: URL
For the principles and specifics of indicating the URL and DOI addresses for online sources in the Harvard referencing system, see this article.
Examples in a list of references:
Marsland, S., (2011). Machine learning: an algorithmic perspective. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Girolami, G. S., Rauchfuss, T. B. and Angelici, R. J., (1999). Synthesis and technique in inorganic chemistry: a laboratory manual. 3rd ed. Sausalito, CA: University Science Books.
MacNaught, T. J., (2016). The Fijian colonial experience: a study of the neotraditional order under British colonial rule prior to World War II [online]. Canberra: ANU Press. [Viewed 11 January 2021]. Available from: doi: 10.26530/OAPEN_612754
Book with an author and an editor
Reference template:
Author(s), (year). Title. Edited by Editor(s). Edition number. City: Publisher.
Example in a list of references:
Shakespeare, W., (2007). Complete works. Edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen. New York, NY: Modern Library.
Book without a credited author (with an editor, etc.)
Reference template:
Editor(s), ed(s)., (year). Title. Edition number. City: Publisher.
Example in a list of references:
Bielefeldt, H., Frewer, A., Klotz, S. and Schmidhuber, M., eds., (2018). Healthcare as a human rights issue: normative profile, conflicts and implementation [online]. Bielefeld: transcript-Verlag. [Viewed 11 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1fxf7w
Translated book
Reference template:
Author(s), (year). Title. Translated from Original language by Translator(s). Edition number. City: Publisher.
Example in a list of references:
Lindgren, A., (2007). Pippi Longstocking. Illustrated by Lauren Child. Translated by Tiina Nunnally. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Volume (part of a multivolume edition)
Reference template:
Author(s), (year). Book title. City: Publisher. Vol. volume number Volume title.
If the cited volume has no individual name, the respective element is omitted from the reference.
Example in a list of references:
Macomber, D., (1998). Heart of Texas. Don Mills: MIRA Books. Vol. 1 Lonesome cowboy & Texas two-step.
Chapter of an edited book
For the principles of referencing a chapter of an edited book in a bibliography under the Harvard citation style, see this article.