Introduction
The Cardiff Harvard referencing style is a variant of the Harvard referencing system, commonly used in academic writing to cite sources. This style provides a standardized method for students and researchers to acknowledge the sources of information and ideas they have used in their work. Proper referencing is crucial for academic integrity, avoiding plagiarism, and giving credit to the original authors. This guide will cover the fundamentals of the Cardiff Harvard referencing style, including in-text citations and reference lists, and provide examples for various types of sources.
Basics of the Cardiff Harvard Referencing Style
The Cardiff Harvard referencing style follows the author-date system, where the author’s surname and the year of publication are included in the text, and full details are provided in the reference list at the end of the document.
In-Text Citations
In-text citations in Cardiff Harvard style include the author’s surname, year of publication, and, if applicable, page numbers. There are two main ways to incorporate in-text citations:
- Author-prominent citation: The author’s name is part of the sentence.
- Example: According to Smith (2020, p. 15), effective communication is essential in business.
- Information-prominent citation: The author’s name and publication date are placed in parentheses.
- Example: Effective communication is essential in business (Smith, 2020, p. 15).
If the work has two authors, include both surnames connected by ‘and’. For three or more authors, use the first author’s surname followed by ‘et al.’
- Two authors: (Brown and Johnson, 2019)
- Three or more authors: (Taylor et al., 2018)
When citing multiple sources, separate them with semicolons and list them in chronological order.
- Example: (Smith, 2017; Brown and Johnson, 2019; Taylor et al., 2020)
Reference List
The reference list in Cardiff Harvard style is organized alphabetically by the authors’ surnames. Each entry should include the following information in this order: author’s surname, initials, year of publication, title of the work, edition (if applicable), place of publication, and publisher.
Formatting Different Types of Sources
Books
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) Title. Edition (if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher.
Examples:
- Single author: Smith, J. (2020) Effective Communication. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press.
- Two authors: Brown, L. and Johnson, P. (2019) Marketing Principles. New York: Business Books.
- Multiple authors: Taylor, A., Green, B. and White, C. (2018) Economic Theories. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Journal Articles
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.
Examples:
- Single author: Clark, D. (2017) ‘Social Media Marketing’, Journal of Digital Marketing, 15(3), pp. 45-56.
- Multiple authors: Brown, L. and Smith, J. (2019) ‘Consumer Behavior Analysis’, Journal of Business Studies, 22(2), pp. 78-89.
Online Articles
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Website. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Examples:
- Single author: Lee, R. (2020) ‘The Future of E-commerce’, Tech Trends. Available at: https://www.techtrends.com/future-ecommerce (Accessed: 10 July 2024).
- Organization as author: World Health Organization (2021) ‘COVID-19 Updates’, WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/covid-19-updates (Accessed: 15 July 2024).
Chapters in Edited Books
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) ‘Title of chapter’, in Editor(s) (ed(s)) Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Page numbers.
Example:
- Johnson, P. (2018) ‘Digital Marketing Strategies’, in Brown, L. and Green, B. (eds) Modern Marketing Techniques. London: Marketing Publishers, pp. 123-140.
Conference Papers
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) ‘Title of paper’, Paper presented at Name of Conference, Place of conference, Date(s) of conference.
Example:
- Clark, D. (2019) ‘Artificial Intelligence in Business’, Paper presented at International Conference on AI Applications, New York, 20-22 March 2019.
Reports
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) Title of Report. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example:
- Brown, L. (2020) Annual Business Report. London: Business Insights.
Websites
Basic Format: Author(s) (Year) Title of web page. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Example:
- Green, B. (2021) Digital Marketing Trends. Available at: https://www.digitalmarketingtrends.com (Accessed: 5 July 2024).
Special Cases
No Author
For sources with no identifiable author, use the title of the work in italics followed by the year of publication.
Example:
- (Marketing Strategies, 2020)
No Date
If no publication date is available, use ‘n.d.’ (no date).
Example:
- Smith, J. (n.d.) Effective Communication. London: Academic Press.
Secondary Sources
When citing a source that is quoted in another source, use ‘cited in’.
Example:
- Smith, J. (2020, cited in Brown, 2021, p. 45)
Conclusion
The Cardiff Harvard referencing style is a robust and flexible system that helps maintain academic integrity and ensure that authors give proper credit to the sources they use. By following this guide, students and researchers can accurately cite books, journal articles, online sources, and other types of references. Proper application of the Cardiff Harvard style enhances the credibility of academic work and helps readers locate the original sources of information.
