Harvard in-text citation generator
A Harvard in-text citation is the author’s surname and the year: (Okafor, 2022). Add the page when you quote: (Okafor, 2022, p. 48).
Quick in-text citation
Type the surnames, year and page. The citation updates as you type.
Your in-text citations for Harvard appear here.
Harvard in-text citation format
Parenthetical: (Author, Year, p. #). Narrative: Okafor (2022, p. 48) argues… Name up to three authors; use “et al.” for four or more. Harvard has many university variants; this follows Cite Them Right, the most widely used.
(Okafor, 2022) · Okafor (2022)
(Okafor and Brandt, 2022) · (Okafor, Brandt and Sato, 2022)
(Okafor et al., 2022)
(Okafor, no date)
Use the title in italics: (Sleep and memory, 2021)
p. 48 · pp. 48–49
(Brandt, 2020; Okafor, 2022)
(Freud, 1923, cited in Okafor, 2022)
Source: Pears and Shields, Cite Them Right, 12th edition.
Need the full reference too?
Every in-text citation must match an entry in your reference list. Paste a link, DOI or ISBN into the Harvard citation generator to get both at once, or use the all-styles in-text generator to compare the four styles side by side.
Harvard in-text citation questions
How do you do a Harvard in-text citation?
Put the author’s surname and year in brackets: (Okafor, 2022). For a quote, add the page: (Okafor, 2022, p. 48). If you name the author in your sentence, put the year straight after the name: Okafor (2022) found…
When do I use et al. in Harvard?
In Cite Them Right Harvard, list up to three authors and use “et al.” for four or more. Some universities use et al. from three authors; check your module handbook.
What if there is no date?
Write “no date” in place of the year: (Okafor, no date). Some university versions use n.d.; follow your department’s guide.
Is Harvard the same everywhere?
No. There is no single official Harvard manual, so universities publish their own versions with small differences in punctuation and et al. rules. The format here follows Cite Them Right, which many UK universities adopt.