APA vs. Harvard Referencing: Which Style Should You Use?

Academic Writing APA Harvard Referencing Styles Research Glossary

Proper citation is the backbone of academic integrity. Using the wrong style can lead to desk rejection or even accidental plagiarism. Today, we compare the two most common styles: APA 7th Edition and Harvard.

1. APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Association)

Mostly used in Social Sciences, Education, and Psychology. It follows the Author-Date system.

In-Text Citation
(Smith, 2023) or Smith (2023) argued that...

2. Harvard Referencing

Widely used in the UK, Australia, and many Commonwealth countries for Humanities and Business. While also Author-Date, its bibliography format differs slightly from APA.

In-Text Citation
(Smith 2023) — Note: Often lacks the comma used in APA.

Key Formatting Differences

  • APA: Always requires a "References" page at the end.
  • Harvard: Uses a "Reference List" or "Bibliography" (depending on university preference).
  • Multiple Authors: APA 7th uses "et al." for three or more authors from the first citation.

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