Anglia Ruskin University Harvard Referencing

To cite a website in ARU Harvard style, identify the author or responsible organisation, the year the page was published or last amended, the title of the page, and the full URL, then follow this structure: Author/Organisation, Year. Title of webpage. [online] Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

When citing a website, the authorship may be a named individual or a corporate body — such as a government department, a charity, or a media organisation. The publication date may appear as a headline date or in the copyright line at the foot of the page. If neither is visible, you must state n.d. for no date. The accessed date is essential for websites because online content changes.

To cite a journal article in ARU Harvard style, include the author's surname and initials, year of publication, title of the article, full title of the journal in italics, volume number, issue number in brackets, and page range: Author, Initials., Year. Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp.first-last.

For electronic articles accessed through a library database or freely available online, add either the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL and the date of access. A DOI is preferred because it is a permanent link that does not change, unlike a web address. If the article has a DOI, you do not need to add an accessed date because the link is stable.

To cite a book in ARU Harvard style, use the author's surname, initials, year, title in italics, edition (only if not the first), place of publication, and publisher: Author, Initials., Year. Title of book. Edition (if applicable). Place: Publisher.

Place of publication must be a town or city, not a country. Use the UK location where multiple locations are listed. For USA cities that share names with UK cities, include the state abbreviation (e.g., Birmingham, AL). If a book has no edition statement, it is most likely the first edition and you do not need to state it.

To cite in-text in ARU Harvard style, place the author's surname and year of publication in brackets at the relevant point in your sentence: (Author, Year) or integrate the author's name into the sentence followed by the year in brackets: Author (Year).

In-text citations serve as a signpost, connecting the argument in your writing to the full reference in the reference list. You use them every time you paraphrase, summarise, or quote another person's ideas, findings, or words. For direct quotations, you must also include the page number: (Author, Year, p.X) for a single page or (Author, Year, pp.X–X) for a range.

To cite a chapter in an edited book in ARU Harvard style, begin with the chapter author's details, then use the word In: followed by the editor's details, the book title, place, publisher, and the chapter number or page range: Chapter Author, Initials., Year of chapter. Title of chapter. In: Editor Initials. Surname, ed. Year. Title of book. Place: Publisher. pp.X–X.

This format distinguishes the chapter author from the book editor. In the in-text citation, you always use the chapter author's name, not the editor's name. ARU's guide is clear on this point because it is the chapter author who produced the specific intellectual content you are citing.

To cite a PDF document in ARU Harvard style, treat it similarly to a report or government publication and indicate the format in square brackets: Author/Organisation, Year. Title of document. [pdf] Place (if known): Publisher. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

PDF referencing in ARU Harvard is distinct from citing a book or journal article because a PDF is often an institutional or governmental document that exists primarily in that digital format. The medium descriptor [pdf] in square brackets alerts the reader to the file type, which is especially important in academic work where source type affects how critically you evaluate the evidence.

To cite a report by an organisation in ARU Harvard style, use: Organisation, Year. Title of report. [report] Place: Organisation. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

Reports differ from academic journal articles because they are produced by organisations, government bodies, think tanks, or research agencies rather than academic authors submitting to peer review. They carry significant weight in policy-related, public health, business, and social science assignments. ARU's guide categorises these as "reports by organisations" and treats them like institutional publications with corporate authorship.

To cite an image in ARU Harvard style, include the creator's name, year, title of the image, the medium in square brackets, and where it can be found: Creator, Initials., Year. Title of image. [medium] Location: Institution. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

ARU's guide distinguishes between physical images (such as photographs in a gallery or printed maps) and electronic images (found online or in a database). For electronic images, include the URL and access date. When reproducing an image in your work, you must also add a caption beneath it that acknowledges the source.

To cite a direct quotation in ARU Harvard style, enclose the quoted text in double quotation marks and follow it with the author, year, and page number in brackets: "Quoted text" (Author, Year, p.X).

ARU's guide makes an important distinction based on the length of the quotation. Short quotations (under 50 words) are integrated within your sentence and enclosed in double quotation marks. Long quotations (50 words or more) should be indented from the main text, still enclosed in double quotation marks, and the citation appears at the end. The page number is essential because it allows the reader to locate the exact passage. ARU switched to double quotation marks to help students run their work through Turnitin.

To cite multiple authors in ARU Harvard style in-text, list all names if there are two or three, and use only the first author followed by et al. if there are four or more: (Smith, Jones and Brown, 2020) or (Smith, et al., 2020).

In the reference list, all authors must be listed in full regardless of how many there are, unless your Faculty has granted explicit permission to truncate very large author groups (which can occur in certain scientific disciplines). The phrase et al. comes from the Latin et alii, meaning "and others". ARU's guide confirms this rule is consistent for both in-text citations and the reference list, with the exception that et al. is used only in-text for four or more authors.

To cite a YouTube video in ARU Harvard style, use: Creator/Organisation, Year. Title of video. [online video] Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

YouTube videos are treated as electronic audiovisual sources. The creator may be a named individual, a media organisation, or a corporate body. The year is the year the video was uploaded or published. ARU's guide specifically includes YouTube as a citable source under its images and electronic sources sections, confirming that it is an academically acceptable citation when used appropriately.

To cite a video or film (DVD, streaming, or broadcast) in ARU Harvard style, use: Director, Initials., Year. Title of film. [DVD/film/streaming] Place: Production company.

For films or programmes available on streaming platforms, include the platform name and URL. ARU's guide covers DVD and video under its images section (Section 7.1), distinguishing physical media from digitally streamed content. Broadcasts and television programmes follow a slightly different format that includes the broadcast channel and date.

To cite a podcast episode in ARU Harvard style, use: Presenter/Creator, Initials., Year. Title of episode. Name of podcast. [podcast] Day Month. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

Podcasts are categorised in ARU's guide under archived audiovisual content (Section 7.6). The episode title is not italicised, but the podcast series title is. If no individual presenter is identified, use the production organisation as the author. The publication date should be as precise as possible — include the day and month when available.

To cite an Act of Parliament in ARU Harvard style, use the full title of the Act including the year as it appears in the official title: Title of Act Year (Chapter number). Place: Publisher.

Legislation is uniquely cited in ARU Harvard style because the Act title and year form part of its legal identity. Unlike other sources, the year appears as part of the title, not as a separate date element. The in-text citation uses the short title of the Act in italics. Secondary legislation (Statutory Instruments) follows a similar format. ARU's guide covers this under Section 5.1 and Section 5.2.

To cite a thesis or dissertation in ARU Harvard style, use: Author, Initials., Year. Title of thesis. [type of thesis, e.g., PhD thesis or MA dissertation] Institution name.

These are primary research documents that hold significant academic value, particularly in literature reviews and research methodology sections. ARU's guide covers this under Section 5.11 "Dissertations and Theses." The type of thesis (e.g., PhD, MPhil, MSc, MA) and the awarding institution are both essential elements that help verify the status of the research and distinguish it from published monographs.

To cite a lecture or course material in ARU Harvard style, use: Lecturer, Initials., Year. Title of lecture or module. [lecture notes/module material] Institution, Day Month Year.

Lecture materials — including slides, handouts, and recorded sessions — are categorised in ARU's guide under "Course material and Lecture notes" (Section 5.13). They are considered internal, often unpublished, sources. While they are citable, academic best practice encourages students to trace the original published sources that the lecturer drew upon. This ensures your argument is supported by peer-reviewed evidence rather than a secondary interpretation.

To cite an online news article in ARU Harvard style, use: Author, Initials., Year. Title of article. Newspaper name. [online] Day Month. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

News articles differ from academic journal articles in that they are written for a general readership rather than a specialist peer review. ARU's guide covers both print newspaper articles and online newspaper articles (Sections 4.15 and 4.16 in the 2019 edition). For a print article, include the edition and page number. For online articles, include the URL and the accessed date. The day and month of publication are essential for newspapers because news content is time-specific.

To cite an interview in ARU Harvard style, distinguish between a published interview and one you conducted yourself. For a published interview: Interviewee, Initials., Year. Title or subject. Interview with Interviewer Initials. Surname. Publication or programme, Day Month.

For an unpublished interview you conducted personally (primary research), it is treated as personal communication and noted as such: Interviewee, Initials., Year. Interview by Interviewer Initials. Surname [type, e.g., personal interview or telephone interview], Day Month. ARU's guide covers interviews under Section 5.15. Such personal interviews typically appear in the reference list but carry weight only as a primary, non-traceable source, so they should complement rather than replace published evidence.

To cite a conference paper in ARU Harvard style, use: Author, Initials., Year. Title of paper. In: Title of conference proceedings. Location, Day–Day Month Year. Place: Publisher. pp.X–X.

Conference papers occupy a unique position in academic publishing. They represent early-stage research presented to a specialist audience before full peer-reviewed publication. ARU's guide addresses conference reports and papers under Section 5.9. When the proceedings have a formal editor, include the editor's details. When citing a paper only found online, include the URL and the accessed date.

To cite a social media post in ARU Harvard style, use: Author/Handle, Year. Text of post or description. [Platform] Day Month. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

ARU's guide addresses social media under Section 6.6. Social media posts — whether from Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram — are treated as electronic sources with a corporate or individual author. The author is identified by their real name where known, followed by their handle or username in brackets. Only a short descriptive excerpt of the post text is needed if the full post is very long.

To cite a TikTok video in ARU Harvard style, treat it as a social media audiovisual post: Creator Name (@handle), Year. Description or title of video. [TikTok] Day Month. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

TikTok is not separately listed in ARU's original guide because the platform rose to prominence after the most recent edition. However, the guide's social media and electronic sources framework (Sections 6.6 and 7.7) provides the basis for this format. Academic use of TikTok as a source is limited to specific contexts — for example, analysing online communication, digital media studies, or public health campaigns disseminated via short-form video.

To cite a Gov.uk source in ARU Harvard style, treat it as a government website or official publication: Department/Organisation, Year. Title of page or document. [online] Place: Publisher. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

Gov.uk is the official website of the UK government and is considered a high-authority, citable source in academic, policy, legal, and public health work. The responsible department or agency acts as the corporate author. If a named individual authored a specific publication, list that individual. ARU's guide treats these sources under its websites (Section 6.1) and official publications (Section 5.3) framework.

To cite an annual report in ARU Harvard style, use: Organisation, Year. Annual report [year]. Place: Organisation. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

Annual reports are a primary source of financial, operational, and strategic information about an organisation. They are commonly cited in business, finance, nursing, and public administration studies. ARU's guide covers these under Section 5.5 and treats them as institutional publications. The year in the citation refers to the year of publication of the report, not the financial year it covers, unless they differ significantly.

To cite an e-book in ARU Harvard style, add [e-book] in square brackets after the title and indicate where it was accessed: Author, Initials., Year. Title of book. [e-book] Place: Publisher. Available through/at: Source \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

ARU's guide distinguishes between three types of e-book access: through the ARU Library (password-protected database), through open-access platforms like Google Books, and through specific e-reader devices like Kindle. For ARU Library access, write "Available through: ARU Library website \". For open access, write "Available at:" followed by the platform name and URL.

To cite ChatGPT or another AI tool in ARU Harvard style, reference the tool as the author using the organisation that developed it, the year of access, the tool name in italics, the version or model if known, and the URL: Organisation, Year. Tool name [large language model/generative AI]. Available at: \ [Accessed Day Month Year].

ARU's printed guide (last updated 2019) predates generative AI, but its current referencing guidance follows the Cite Them Right framework, which has issued updated advice on AI tools. The key principle is that AI-generated content is not a verifiable source — it cannot be traced, reproduced exactly, or peer-reviewed. Most ARU faculties require students to declare any AI use in line with the University's academic integrity policy. When citing AI output, include the exact prompt used as part of the reference so that the interaction is documented as fully as possible. anglia.libguides

To cite a website with no identifiable author in ARU Harvard style, use the organisation name as the author if it can be determined from the URL or "About Us" section. If truly no author or organisation can be identified, use Anon. followed by the year and title in italics.

ARU's guide stresses that every effort should be made to establish authorship before resorting to Anon. because anonymous sources carry limited academic credibility. The URL often reveals the responsible organisation — for example, a URL containing nhs.uk points to NHS authorship even if no named author is on the page. The title of the page should always be italicised when used in place of an author.