Understanding Harvard Referencing for Websites

Harvard referencing is a widely used citation style in academic writing, particularly in disciplines like social sciences and humanities. When referencing websites, it’s essential to follow a specific format to ensure clarity and consistency in your citations. Below are three diverse examples that illustrate how to reference a website in Harvard format, along with context and explanations for each.

Example 1: Referencing a Government Website

Context

This example is useful when citing information from an official government source, which is often seen as credible and reliable.

The following citation format is used:
Author(s) or Organization. Year. Title of webpage. Site Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).

Example

World Health Organization. 2023. Mental health: strengthening our response. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response (Accessed: 15 October 2023).

Notes

• Ensure that the author or organization is clearly identified.
• The access date is critical for web resources, as content can change.

Example 2: Referencing an Educational Institution’s Website

Context

When using resources from educational institutions, it’s essential to provide accurate citations to lend credibility to your work.

The following citation format is applicable:
Author(s) or Institution. Year. Title of webpage. Site Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).

Example

Harvard University. 2023. The importance of research integrity. Harvard University. Available at: https://www.harvard.edu/research-integrity (Accessed: 10 October 2023).

Notes

• If no individual author is present, the institution can be credited as the author.
• Keep in mind that the title should be in italics.

Example 3: Referencing a News Article from a Website

Context

Citing news articles is common in research, especially when discussing current events or trends. It’s vital to capture the date of publication for accuracy.

The citation format for news articles is:
Author(s) Year. Title of article. Site Name. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).

Example

Smith, J. 2023. New advancements in artificial intelligence. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-12345678 (Accessed: 20 October 2023).

Notes

• Always use the author’s last name followed by the initial.
• Ensure the article title is in sentence case and italics to distinguish it from the rest of the reference.

By following these examples of referencing a website in Harvard format, you can ensure that your academic writing is precise and credible, providing your readers with clear paths to the sources you used.