How to Cite a Book in Harvard

Complete guide with examples for citing print books, ebooks, edited volumes, and book chapters using Harvard referencing.

Basic Format: Print Book (Single Author)

Include the author, year (in round brackets), book title (italicized), edition (if not the first), and publisher. Place of publication is omitted in Cite Them Right Harvard.

Reference List Entry

Author Surname, Initials. (Year) Title of Book. Edition (if not 1st). Publisher.

Example: Single Author

Citation

Gladwell, M. (2008) Outliers: The story of success. Little, Brown and Company.

In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)

(Gladwell, 2008)

Book with Multiple Authors

List all authors in the order they appear. Use 'and' before the final author in the reference list, and '&' in parenthetical citations.

Example (Two Authors)

Levitin, D. J. and Byrne, D. (2025) I heard there was a secret chord: Music as medicine. W. W. Norton.

In‑Text Citation

(Levitin and Byrne, 2025)

Book with Three or More Authors

In the in‑text citation, use the first author's surname followed by 'et al.' In the reference list, list all authors.

Example

Smith, J., Jones, M. and Lee, K. (2022) Introduction to Canadian politics. 3rd edn. Oxford University Press.

In‑Text Citation

(Smith et al., 2022)

Edited Book

Example

Johnson, P. (ed.) (2024) Contemporary Indigenous poetics. Talonbooks.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Example

Wong, M. (2024) 'Reclaiming narrative sovereignty', in Johnson, P. (ed.) Contemporary Indigenous poetics. Talonbooks, pp. 45‑67.

Ebook with DOI or URL

Ebooks that look like printed books (with publication details and pagination) are referenced the same as print books. For ebooks without stable pagination, include the DOI or URL and access date.

Example

Brown, B. (2015) Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Avery. Available at: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx (Accessed: 8 April 2026).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I include the city of publication?

No. Cite Them Right Harvard (the most common variant) omits the place of publication.

How do I cite a translated book?

Include the translator's name after the title: Title, trans. Initials Surname. Publisher.

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