The best examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing

Quick examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing

Let’s start with what you probably came for: fast, realistic examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing that you can model in your own work.

Here are a few common patterns, shown in normal sentences:

• A book with one author:
  Recent research supports this view (Smith, 2022).
  Or: Smith (2022) argues that student motivation is context dependent.

• A journal article with two authors:
  Bilingual exposure can improve executive function (Garcia and Lee, 2023).
  Or: Garcia and Lee (2023) found a positive correlation between bilingualism and attention control.

• A source with three or more authors:
  Social media use has increased sharply among teenagers (Jones et al., 2021).
  Or: Jones et al. (2021) report that daily screen time has more than doubled since 2015.

• A website with no person named as author:
  The guidance recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).
  Or: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024), most adults do not meet physical activity guidelines.

These quick patterns are the backbone of most examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing. The rest of this guide simply shows how to adjust them for trickier situations.

Core pattern: author, year, and page in Harvard in-text citations

At its heart, Harvard referencing in text is built on three pieces of information:

• The author’s last name (or organization name)
• The year of publication
• Page number(s) when you quote or refer to a specific part

In practice, that looks like this:

• Paraphrase (no page number required):
  Online learning can widen access to higher education (Brown, 2020).

• Direct quote with a page number:
  Brown (2020, p. 47) argues that “flexible delivery models can reduce geographic barriers.”

If you’re giving several examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing in one paragraph, you can vary the style to keep your writing smooth. For example:

Brown (2020) suggests that online learning improves access. Later research supports this conclusion (Nguyen, 2021; Patel, 2023). However, some studies emphasize the digital divide (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2022).

Notice how this mixes author-in-the-sentence citations with author-in-parentheses citations, while still following the same author–year pattern.

Authoritative style guides, such as those from the University of Leeds and Harvard Library (both accessed 2024), use this same basic structure.

Examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for different numbers of authors

Real life rarely hands you neat, single-author books. You’ll often have two authors, three authors, or a long team of researchers. Here are practical examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for each case.

One author

This is the simplest pattern.

• Sleep patterns change significantly during adolescence (Carskadon, 2019).
• Carskadon (2019) highlights the impact of school start times on teen sleep duration.

Two authors

Use “and” between the surnames in the text, and “and” in parentheses as well (some variants use “&” in references, but many Harvard styles keep “and” throughout—check your institution’s guide).

• Diet quality is strongly linked to long-term health outcomes (Mozaffarian and Ludwig, 2020).
• Mozaffarian and Ludwig (2020) argue that food policy needs to emphasize whole foods rather than single nutrients.

Three or more authors

Use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” (which means “and others”). The period after al. is part of the abbreviation.

• Daily step count is associated with reduced mortality risk (Paluch et al., 2022).
• Paluch et al. (2022) report that benefits plateau around 6,000–8,000 steps per day in older adults.

When you’re giving several examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for multi-author works, keep et al. consistent throughout your paper.

Real examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for paraphrases vs. quotes

Harvard treats paraphrasing and quoting slightly differently. Paraphrasing focuses on ideas in your own words; quoting uses the author’s exact wording.

Paraphrasing (no quotation marks)

Page numbers are often optional but recommended for academic work, especially when referring to specific arguments.

• Idea without a page number:
  Mindfulness programs may reduce stress in college students (Bamber and Kraenzle Schneider, 2022).

• Idea with a page number for clarity:
  Mindfulness programs may reduce stress in college students (Bamber and Kraenzle Schneider, 2022, p. 3).

• Author in the sentence:
  Bamber and Kraenzle Schneider (2022, p. 3) argue that short mindfulness interventions can have measurable effects on student well-being.

Direct quotations (with quotation marks)

Always include a page number (or paragraph number for some web sources) when you quote.

• Short quote:
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024, para. 2) states that “physical activity can improve brain health, reduce the risk of disease, and strengthen bones and muscles.”

• Quote in parentheses:
  Physical activity has wide-ranging benefits, including improved brain health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, para. 2).

These are some of the best examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for everyday academic writing: they clearly show where the idea came from and help your reader locate it in the original source.

For health-related topics, you can often cite sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or National Institutes of Health (accessed 2024–2025) using this same structure.

Examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for online and organizational sources

Modern assignments often rely on websites, online reports, and organizational authors instead of traditional books. Here’s how that looks in practice.

Organization as author

When no individual author is named, use the organization’s name.

• Childhood vaccination rates vary by region (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023), vaccination coverage in some areas remains below target levels.

• The World Health Organization (2024) emphasizes that climate change is a major health threat.

• Climate change is now recognized as a major health threat (World Health Organization, 2024).

Website or online article with a person as author

This works just like a print article: surname and year.

• Digital note-taking can support active learning (Miller, 2024).
• Miller (2024) suggests that students who annotate digital texts retain more information.

No date available

If no date is available, many Harvard styles use “n.d.” (no date).

• Regular handwashing reduces the spread of infectious diseases (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).
• According to Mayo Clinic (n.d.), handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent illness.

When you give examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing for web sources, always double-check your institution’s rules on using access dates and formatting “n.d.” in the reference list.

Handling tricky situations: same author, same year, and multiple sources

Real-world research often throws curveballs: two works by the same author in the same year, several sources in one sentence, or authors with the same surname. Here are practical, real examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing that show you how to handle those.

Same author, same year

Add lowercase letters (a, b, c) after the year, matching your reference list.

• Student engagement can be influenced by assessment design (Taylor, 2021a) and by classroom climate (Taylor, 2021b).
• Taylor (2021a, 2021b) highlights assessment and classroom climate as key factors in engagement.

Multiple sources in one set of parentheses

Separate sources with semicolons and usually order them alphabetically by author.

• Physical activity is linked to both physical and mental health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Mayo Clinic, n.d.; World Health Organization, 2024).

• Several studies have reported benefits of early childhood education (Barnett, 2018; Heckman, 2020; Yoshikawa et al., 2022).

These are strong, real examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing that show how to support a claim with more than one source without overloading your sentence.

Authors with the same surname

Include initials to avoid confusion.

• Recent work has examined social media’s impact on body image (A. Johnson, 2022; L. Johnson, 2023).
• A. Johnson (2022) focuses on adolescent girls, while L. Johnson (2023) studies adult women.

Page numbers, paragraph numbers, and secondary citations

Sometimes you need to be more precise, especially in humanities or law papers.

Page ranges

Use “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for a range.

• Long-term follow-up data are limited (Nguyen, 2021, p. 118).
• Several large-scale trials report similar outcomes (Nguyen, 2021, pp. 118–120).

Paragraph numbers for web pages

When no page numbers exist, some Harvard guides allow paragraph numbers.

• The National Institutes of Health (2024, para. 4) notes that regular physical activity can help manage weight and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Secondary citations (citing a source you found quoted in another)

Most instructors prefer you to track down the original source, but if you can’t, Harvard usually lets you indicate both.

• Piaget argued that children construct knowledge actively (Piaget, 1952, cited in Woolfolk, 2020, p. 45).

Here, Woolfolk is the book you actually read. Your reference list will only include Woolfolk, not Piaget, because Woolfolk is your actual source.

If you’re unsure, check your university’s Harvard guide or an institutional resource such as the University of Manchester Library (accessed 2024).

2024–2025 tips for using Harvard in-text citations smoothly

Harvard hasn’t suddenly changed in 2024–2025, but how we use it has. A few practical tips, drawn from current academic practice:

• Many universities now provide official Harvard guides online. Always match your examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing to your institution’s version, because small details (like italics or the use of “&”) can vary.
• Reference managers (like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote) can generate in-text citations automatically, but they still make mistakes with things like organization names or missing dates. Use the examples here as a sanity check.
• AI tools and large language models are now common in student work. If you use them for drafting, always verify every reference against the original source. Do not rely on AI-generated references alone; they can be inaccurate or entirely invented.
• For health and medical topics, prioritize authoritative sources such as CDC, NIH, and Mayo Clinic. Your Harvard in-text citations will be stronger and more credible when they point to reliable evidence.

When in doubt, look at a few trusted examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing from your university’s writing center or library, and copy the pattern.

FAQ: short answers and more examples of Harvard in-text citations

What is an example of a Harvard in-text citation for a book?

A simple example of an in-text citation in Harvard referencing for a book is:

• Critical thinking can be taught explicitly (Facione, 2015).
• Facione (2015, p. 23) defines critical thinking as “purposeful, self-regulatory judgment.”

How do I give multiple examples of sources in one Harvard in-text citation?

Put them in one set of parentheses, separated by semicolons, usually in alphabetical order:

• Early childhood programs can have long-term benefits (Barnett, 2018; Heckman, 2020; Yoshikawa et al., 2022).

This is a clear example of how to combine several sources in one Harvard in-text citation.

Can you give an example of a Harvard in-text citation with no author?

Use the organization or title instead of a person’s name:

• Handwashing helps prevent infections (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).
• According to Mayo Clinic (n.d.), proper handwashing takes at least 20 seconds.

Do I always need page numbers in Harvard in-text citations?

Not always. Page numbers are expected when you quote directly and recommended when you refer to a specific part of a source. For general ideas, many guides allow you to omit them:

• With page number: “Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health” (National Institutes of Health, 2023, p. 2).
• Without page number: Sleep is an important indicator of health (National Institutes of Health, 2023).

Where can I see more reliable examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing?

Besides this guide, check your university library’s Harvard guide or trusted academic sites. Many students use examples from:

• University library Harvard guides (.edu domains)
• Writing centers at major universities
• Public health and medical sites like CDC.gov, NIH.gov, and MayoClinic.org for topic content, then format the in-text citations using the author–year pattern shown above.

Use these as models, and you’ll quickly get comfortable creating your own accurate, confident examples of in-text citations in Harvard referencing.