How to compile a bibliography using the Harvard system

What is a bibliography?

  A bibliography is a list of all resources used when writing an essay, assignment, report or project.  It indicates where information has been obtained. The Harvard System is widely used when compiling bibliographies. It is also known as the Author-Date system. If you are a history student, then you will need to check with your history teacher about the correct way to reference for that subject.

  How is a bibliography arranged?

  A bibliography is arranged in alphabetical order, according to the author's last name.  If an author cannot be found, then the title comes first in the entry. A bibliography is put at the end of the assignment, essay or project. It should be given a page to itself. Do not number entries. Leave a line between each entry. It is important that correct punctuation is used.

Example Bibliography

Bibliography

Allan, R. and Greenwood, T. Year 12 Biology 1999, Biozone, Gold Coast.

Horey, J. 2001, "Broadband blues". Australian Personal computer, Feb. p 44 Netstudy. 1997, Dell, New York.

Pledger, P. 1998, Homework Helper, Pledger Consulting, Adelaide.

Smith, M. K. 1997, "Referencing the Informal Education Homepage". [On-line] Available http://www.infed.org, 12 June 1998

Referencing within the body of your assignment

It is very important that you acknowledge the source of the ideas you use in your work. If you copy down someone else's words without acknowledging them, then you are plagiarising that person's work. It is dishonest to plagiarise. Referencing is necessary to avoid plagiarism. It also means that your teacher can check on information and do further reading.

How to reference

Put in the author's last name and year of publication into the text of your essay, assignment or report and give the full reference at the end of the essay or report.

Example

Horey (2001) raises issues about broadband broadcasting.

  If using a direct quote, ensure that quotation marks are used and the relevant page number(s) are given.

  Example

Horey (2001, p 44) stated that "Most forms of content are distributed more cheaply over the Internet" 

How to compile a bibliography

The Harvard system

  Outlined below are ways of presenting the sources of your research.

 Books

Use the following: Author’s last name, and initials. Year of publication, Title of book, Publisher, Place of publication:

Example: Pledger, P. 1998, Homework Helper, Pledger Consulting, Adelaide.

Books with two or more authors

Authors' last name, and initials. Year of publication, Title of book, Publisher, Place of publication:

Example: Allan, R. and Greenwood, T. Year 12 Biology 1999, Biozone, Gold Coast.

If the book has no author

Title of book, Year of publication, Publisher, Place of publication

Example: Netstudy. 1997, Dell, New York.

Encyclopedias

Use the following: "Article title". Year of publication, Title of encyclopedia. Volume number, Publisher, Place of publication, page numbers

Example: "Railway". 1993, World Book Encyclopedia, vol 16, World Book, London, p97-112

Magazine and newspaper articles

Use the following: Author's last name, initial. Year of publication. "Title of the article". Title of the magazine or newspaper, volume/issue number or date, page number/s.

Example: Horey, J. 2001, "Broadband blues". Australian Personal computer, Feb. p 44

Example: Oakley, V. 2001, "Return journey to a town of despair", Advertiser, 3 Feb, p 5.

Internet

Author's name, initial. Date. "Title of the item". [On-line] Available http://address/filename. Date accessed.

Example: Smith, M. K. 1997, "Referencing the Informal Education Homepage". [On-line] Available http://www.infed.org, 12 June 1998

E-mail

Author of the e-mail message. Date of the message. "Subject line of the message". [Online] Available email@address.edu from author@address.edu.au.

Example: Taylor, Barry. (2 June, 1998) "Hubble Space Telescope image enhancement techniques". [Online] Available e-mail: student2@southport.edu. from btaylor@hst.nasa.gov.

Non print resources, eg audiotape, video, television program, CD ROM

Title, Year of publication or transmission. Publisher or Distributor or Channel, Place of publication. (Description)

Example Australian birds. 1992. Mortdale, NSW: Simtrak Studios. (Audiotape)

Example Catering skills. 1994, Bendigo: Video Education Australasia. (Video)

Example Civil War. 2001, Channel 2. 2 February. (Television Program)

Example Thailand, 1997, Encarta, Microsoft. (CD ROM)

Useful sites are

http://lisweb.curtin.edu.au/guides/handouts/harvard.html

http://www.classroom.net