How to Cite a Conference Paper or Presentation in Harvard
Complete guide with examples for citing conference proceedings, presentations, and panels using Harvard referencing.
Conference Paper (Published Proceedings)
Cite a paper published in conference proceedings like a chapter in an edited book. The paper title is in single quotation marks; the proceedings title is italicized.
Reference List Entry
Author Surname, Initials. (Year) 'Title of paper', in Editor Surname, Initials. (ed.) Title of proceedings. Conference date, Location. Place of publication: Publisher, pp. page range.
Example: Published Proceedings
Citation
Kikkinn, B. and Hotham, L. (2005) 'Improving oral communication in pharmacy education through interdisciplinary research', in Refereed Proceedings of the Language and Academic Skills in Higher Education Conference. Canberra, 24‑25 November. Canberra: Australian National University, pp. 99‑108.
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Kikkinn and Hotham, 2005)
Conference Presentation (Unpublished)
For a presentation that was delivered but not published, include the author, year, title in single quotation marks, and conference details.
Example
Tremblay, M. (2026) 'Climate resilience in coastal First Nations communities'. Paper presented at the Canadian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Toronto, 20‑23 May.
Poster Presentation
Example
Singh, J. and Lee, K. (2025) 'Neural correlates of bilingual code‑switching in children'. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, Boston, 10‑12 April.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include the conference location?
Yes. Include the city of the conference. If the city is not well‑known, include the country.
How do I cite a virtual conference presentation?
If the conference was held virtually, indicate 'Virtual conference' in place of the location.