York University Harvard Referencing

To cite a podcast in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the presenter's surname and initial, the year in brackets, the episode title in double quotation marks, the name of the podcast in italics, the date of transmission, the word Podcast, and a URL with an accessed date.

York University's own guide uses a podcast citation as a direct example, confirming this format. Podcasts are treated similarly to radio programmes, but the word "Podcast" is included in the reference to clarify the medium. The in-text citation uses the presenter's surname and year, for example (Maron, 2016).

To cite a website in York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial (or organisation name), the year, the title of the specific webpage in italics, the label [Online], the name of the full website, a last updated date if relevant, and the URL with an accessed date.

York University distinguishes between websites with a named author and those without. When no individual author exists, the organisation name serves as the author in both the in-text citation and the reference list. Never include the URL in the in-text citation itself.

To cite a quote in the York University Harvard referencing style, include the author's surname, year of publication, and the specific page number in the in-text citation. The page number is mandatory for all direct quotations.

Short quotations of fewer than 40 words are placed within double quotation marks inside your sentence. Longer quotations of 40 words or more are formatted as indented block quotations without quotation marks, with the citation placed at the beginning or end of the block. York University is explicit that page numbers must accompany all direct quotes.

To cite a thesis in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial, the year, the title of the thesis in italics, the name of the institution, and the degree level.

York University's own guide confirms this format with the example of a PhD thesis submitted to the University of York. The degree type (e.g., PhD, MA, MSc) follows the institution name at the end of the reference. No publisher is included because the institution acts as the awarding body.

To cite a chapter in a book in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the chapter author's surname and initial, the year, the chapter title without italics, then "In" followed by the book editor's surname, initial, and "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)", the book title in italics, the place and publisher, and the page numbers.

This format is used when individual chapters have different authors within an edited collection. The in-text citation uses the chapter author's name, not the book editor's name. York University is clear that when citing a chapter, the chapter author takes precedence in the citation.

To cite multiple authors in the York University Harvard referencing style, the format changes based on the number of authors. For two authors, list both surnames joined with "and" in-text. For three authors, list all three in the first citation and use "et al." in subsequent citations. For four or more authors, use "et al." in all in-text citations.

The reference list entry for four or more authors can either list all names or use "et al." after the first author. York University stresses consistency — whichever approach you choose must be applied uniformly throughout your work. The abbreviation "et al." must always include a full stop after "al".

To cite a YouTube video in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the name of the channel or creator, the year in brackets, the title of the video in italics, the label [Video], and the URL with an accessed date.

York University confirms this format in its own guide, specifically noting a BBC London YouTube video as an example. The channel name functions as the author when no individual creator is credited. The in-text citation uses the channel or creator name and year.

To cite legislation in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the full name of the Act, the year, and the chapter number (c.X), followed by the URL and accessed date for online sources.

York University's guide explicitly covers both UK Acts of Parliament and UK statutory instruments. The chapter number follows the year and refers to the Act's position in that parliamentary session. No author or publisher is required because legislation is a public document. The in-text citation uses the Act name and year.

To cite an image in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the creator's surname and initial, the year, the title in italics, the medium in square brackets, such as [Photograph] or [Painting], and the location of the work.

York University's guide confirms this format with examples for both physical and online images. For online images such as charts or figures, include the URL and the accessed date. For images reproduced in print, insert the figure reference directly into the text alongside the caption. The image must also appear in the reference list.

To cite a lecture in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the lecturer's surname and initial, the year, the word "Lecture:" followed by the lecture title in italics, the course name, the institution, and the date.

This format applies to both attended lectures and distributed lecture notes. For lecture notes, replace the course lecture structure with the document title and relevant page numbers. York University provides both formats in its guide, distinguishing clearly between a delivered lecture and written handout materials.

To cite a report in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the organisation or named author, the year, the title in italics, the label [Online] for web sources, the publisher, and the URL with an accessed date.

Where a report has named individual authors, those authors take precedence. Where no individual is named, the organisation name serves as the author in both the in-text citation and the reference list. York University distinguishes between print and online report formats, with the online version requiring a URL and an access date.

To cite an interview in the York University Harvard referencing style, use the interviewee's surname as the author. For published interviews, include the interviewer's name, the publication title, date, and page numbers. For a self-conducted interview, include "Personal interview", a brief title, the location, your name, and the date.

York University explicitly states that the interviewee's name anchors both the in-text citation and the reference list entry. This applies regardless of whether the interview was broadcast, published in print, or conducted personally as part of research. For sensitive or confidential interviews, anonymity should be protected with appropriate labelling.

To cite a book in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial, the year in brackets, the title in italics, the edition (if not the first), the place of publication, and the publisher.

This is the most common reference type in academic writing. Ebooks follow the same format as print books. If page markers are unavailable in an ebook, cite the chapter instead (e.g., ch.1). York University advises capitalising only the first word of the title and the first word after a colon, except for proper nouns.

To cite a PDF in the York University Harvard referencing style, cite it according to the original source type — for example, as a book, report, or journal article — and add the URL and accessed date. A PDF is a file format, not a source type; the source type determines the citation structure.

York University's guide does not list "PDF" as a distinct source category. Instead, you identify what the PDF contains — a report, a journal article, a thesis, a government document — and apply the correct format for that source. Add "Available at: [URL] [Accessed date]" at the end to reflect the online access.

To cite a social media post in the York University Harvard referencing style, use the account name or organisation as the author, give the year, quote the beginning of the post in double quotation marks, name the platform in italics, give the date of the post, and include the URL with an accessed date.

York University's own guide demonstrates this format using a post from the University of York's X (formerly Twitter) account. The post text functions as the title of the source. The platform name — X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook — appears in place of a journal or newspaper title.

To cite a news article in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial, the year, the article title, the newspaper name in italics, the full date, and the page numbers. For online articles, add [Online] after the title and include a URL and the accessed date.

York University specifies that news articles should use the most precise date available — typically the full date for daily newspapers. If no author is named, the newspaper title replaces the author in both the in-text citation and the reference list.

To cite in-text sources in the York University Harvard referencing style, place the author's surname and the year of publication in brackets after the relevant information. Add a page number when quoting directly or referring to a specific part of a source.

In-text citations can appear at the end of a sentence before the full stop, or be integrated into the sentence structure so the author's name leads the sentence. When citing multiple sources in one bracket, list them in date order with the most recent first, separated by semicolons. York University confirms that in-text citations count toward your word count unless your tutor specifies otherwise.

To cite a citation within a citation — known as secondary referencing — in the York University Harvard referencing style, acknowledge both the original source and the source in which you encountered it. Use the phrase "as cited in" in the in-text citation.

York University strongly advises against secondary referencing unless the original source is genuinely inaccessible. The reason is that the author you read may have misrepresented or selectively interpreted the original. In the reference list, you include only the source you actually read — not the original.

To cite a dictionary in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the editor's surname and initial, followed by "(Ed.)" if an editor is named, or give the dictionary title in italics if no editor exists. Include the year, title (or entry title), place of publication, and publisher.

York University's guide distinguishes between dictionaries with a named editor and those without. For a dictionary entry, the entry title is included in the reference. For an online dictionary or reference database, add [Online] and the URL with an accessed date.

To cite a video (such as a film or broadcast documentary) in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the title in italics, the year, the medium in square brackets such as [Film] or [Video], and the production details. The director may be listed as the author, or the title may lead the reference if no director is credited.

York University covers films with and without a director's credit in its guide. The label in square brackets ([Film], [Video], [TV programme]) identifies the medium. The distributor or broadcaster replaces the publisher in the reference.

To cite a journal article in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial, the year, the article title without italics, the journal name in italics, the volume number, the issue number in brackets, and the page range preceded by "pp.". For online articles, add the DOI or URL.

York University amended its guide to confirm that "pp." must precede page range numbers in journal article references. This is a specific York requirement. If no DOI exists, include a URL. If accessing a print journal with no online component, the reference ends after the page numbers.

To cite a conference paper in the York University Harvard referencing style, give the author's surname and initial, the year, the paper title, the conference name in italics, the date and location of the conference, and the publisher or organisation. For full conference proceedings, give the editors and full conference details.

York University's guide provides formats for both full conference proceedings and individual unpublished papers. Unpublished conference papers are labelled "Unpublished paper presented at..." to make clear the material has not been formally published.

To cite an annual report in the York University Harvard referencing style, follow the same format as a standard report. Give the organisation name (or named authors), the year, the full title of the annual report in italics, the publisher, and for online versions, the URL and accessed date.

Annual reports are a common reference source in business, economics, management, and social policy research. They are treated as organisational reports in Harvard style. York University confirms that where named authors are absent, the organisation name acts as the author.

To cite an appendix in the York University Harvard referencing style, reference it parenthetically within the body of your text by directing the reader to it (e.g., see Appendix A). Appendices within your own work are not listed in the reference list because they are part of your document, not external sources.

York University's guide acknowledges appendices in the context of self-conducted interviews, where the interviewer directs the reader to a transcript in an appendix. If you are citing an appendix from another author's published work — such as a thesis or book — treat it as a page range within that source and cite it accordingly.

To cite AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude in the York University Harvard referencing style, treat the AI system as the author, include the version used if known, give the year, describe the prompt or content generated as the title, use [AI-generated text] as the medium label, give the platform name, and include the URL and access date.

York University's guide does not yet have a published dedicated entry for AI tools, but its Harvard format for online and software-based sources provides the applicable model. Because AI outputs are non-retrievable by others — each prompt generates a unique response — York University and many institutions advise students to check their department's specific policy before citing AI-generated content, and to attach the full AI output as an appendix where possible.