Privacy Policy

Harvard Reference Generator is an independent online Harvard referencing service operated in the United Kingdom under the trading name Harvard Reference Generator.

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, Harvard Reference Generator is the controller of the personal data described in this policy unless another organisation is expressly identified as an independent controller.

Privacy contact: contact@harvardreferencegenerator.co.uk

Website: harvardreferencegenerator.co.uk

This Privacy Policy explains how Harvard Reference Generator collects, uses, stores and shares personal data when a person:

• visits the Harvard Reference Generator website;
• uses citation, in-text citation or bibliography tools;
• searches for a source by title, URL, DOI or ISBN;
• builds, copies, downloads or exports a reference list;
• subscribes to a newsletter;
• contacts support or submits a correction; or
• interacts with another feature that links to this Privacy Policy.

Information supplied directly

This may include a name, email address, message content, correction report, support request, complaint, survey response, newsletter subscription, privacy request or other information voluntarily provided to Harvard Reference Generator.

Citation and bibliographic information

Users may enter or search for author names, organisation names, titles, publication dates, publishers, editions, journal details, page ranges, URLs, DOIs, ISBNs, quotations and related source information.

Most published bibliographic information does not identify the user. It can still become personal data where a user enters information about a living person, an unpublished communication, personal notes or confidential material. Users should not enter sensitive, restricted, legally privileged or confidential information unless authorised and the feature genuinely requires it.

Technical and usage information

Depending on the features and consent choices in use, Harvard Reference Generator may collect:

• IP address;
• browser, device and operating-system information;
• approximate location derived from IP address;
• referring page and pages viewed;
• clicks, feature interactions and session timing;
• security, fraud-prevention, diagnostic and error information;
• cookie or similar identifiers; and
• cookie-consent preferences.

Newsletter information

When a person subscribes, Harvard Reference Generator may process the subscriber's email address, subscription date, consent record, unsubscribe status and limited delivery or engagement information where the relevant consent has been obtained.

To provide citation and bibliography functions

Harvard Reference Generator processes source identifiers and bibliographic information to generate Harvard in-text citations, full references and reference lists; retrieve metadata; remember a user's active reference list; and provide copy, download or export functions.

Lawful basis: performance of the service requested by the user and our legitimate interests in providing the requested tool.

To operate, secure and troubleshoot the website

Technical data may be used to maintain availability, detect malicious activity, prevent abuse, diagnose faults, protect the platform and investigate security incidents.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in operating a secure and reliable service and compliance with legal obligations where applicable.

To improve Harvard Reference Generator

Aggregated or limited usage information may be used to understand which source types, university guides and features are useful; identify broken pages or failed searches; and improve the Harvard citation generator.

Lawful basis: consent where non-essential cookies or similar technologies are involved; otherwise legitimate interests for limited, necessary service diagnostics.

To respond to enquiries and corrections

Contact information and message content are used to answer support requests, investigate Harvard referencing corrections, respond to accessibility reports, manage complaints and handle legal or privacy requests.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests, legal obligation or steps connected with a service requested by the person.

To send newsletters

Subscription details are used to send newsletters, referencing updates, new source guides, tool updates or related academic-writing information requested by the subscriber.

Lawful basis: consent. Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time using the link in an email or by contacting us.

For legal and regulatory purposes

Information may be used to keep appropriate records, comply with lawful requests, establish or defend legal claims, protect intellectual property and meet regulatory duties.

Lawful basis: legal obligation or legitimate interests.

When a user searches by title, URL, DOI or ISBN, the search term or source identifier may be sent to bibliographic databases, publisher services, metadata providers, search services or other technical suppliers needed to retrieve source information.

Those suppliers may receive the identifier being searched and ordinary technical data needed to process the request. Automatically retrieved metadata can be incomplete or inaccurate. Users should verify imported details against the original source.

Harvard Reference Generator uses cookies, local storage, tags, scripts and similar technologies for essential functions, user preferences, measurement, embedded content and, where enabled, advertising or campaign measurement.

Non-essential cookies and similar technologies are used only after the required consent has been obtained. Users can accept, reject or customise non-essential categories through the website's cookie-consent controls and can change their choice later.

More information appears in the Cookie Policy.

Harvard Reference Generator may share relevant personal data with carefully selected service providers that support:

• website hosting, content delivery and security;
• error monitoring and technical logging;
• bibliographic lookup, DOI, ISBN, URL and title search;
• email delivery and newsletter management;
• support and contact-form delivery;
• analytics used with the required consent;
• advertising or campaign measurement used with the required consent;
• file generation and document export; and
• professional advice, legal compliance or dispute resolution.

A supplier acting as a processor must handle personal data under appropriate contractual instructions. Some services may act as independent controllers for their own purposes, in which case their own privacy notices also apply.

Harvard Reference Generator may disclose information to a regulator, court, law-enforcement authority or other public body where disclosure is lawfully required.

Some technical suppliers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires a transfer safeguard, Harvard Reference Generator will rely on an applicable UK adequacy regulation, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses or another lawful transfer mechanism.

Harvard Reference Generator keeps personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose:

• general contact and support correspondence: up to 24 months after the last meaningful contact;
• privacy, copyright, legal and formal complaint records: up to six years where needed for compliance or legal claims;
• newsletter subscription records: while subscribed;
• unsubscribe and suppression records: as needed to respect the opt-out;
• routine security and server logs: normally up to 90 days, or longer where required to investigate an incident;
• consent-based analytics information: normally up to 14 months, subject to the service settings;
• cookie-consent records: normally up to 24 months; and
• ordinary citation and active reference-list information: only for the time needed to provide the feature, unless the user deliberately saves or exports it.

Information may be kept for longer when required by law, needed to establish or defend a legal claim, or necessary to investigate fraud, abuse or a security incident. Data that is no longer needed is deleted, anonymised or placed beyond routine use.

Harvard Reference Generator uses proportionate technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, loss, disclosure or destruction.

Harvard Reference Generator provides educational tools that may be used by school, college and university students. The core Harvard citation generator does not require a child to create an account.

Harvard Reference Generator aims to minimise personal-data collection, use clear language and avoid unnecessary profiling. Where consent is the lawful basis for an online service offered directly to a child in the United Kingdom, a child under 13 cannot normally provide that consent alone and parental authorisation may be required.

A child, parent or guardian who believes information has been provided inappropriately should contact us.

Depending on the circumstances, a person may have the right to:

• be informed about the use of personal data;
• request access to personal data;
• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
• ask for information to be erased;
• ask for processing to be restricted;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• object to direct marketing;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis; and
• complain to a data-protection authority.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions.

To make a request, email contact@harvardreferencegenerator.co.uk with the subject line "Privacy request". We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify identity and locate the data.

Please contact Harvard Reference Generator first so the concern can be investigated.

A person also has the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office. Current information is available at ico.org.uk.

A person outside the United Kingdom may also have the right to contact the data-protection authority in their country.

Harvard Reference Generator links to university guides, publishers, databases, social platforms and other external sites. Their privacy practices are outside our control. Users should review the external site's privacy information before providing personal data.

Harvard Reference Generator may update this Privacy Policy when the website, suppliers, legal requirements or data-handling practices change. The latest version will appear on this page.