6. Harvard Referencing

In previous studies I had to reference reports.  However, Harvard Referencing was a new area I had to learn for my college assignments.  This is a method of quoting references by the author/date system.  Referencing the sources of information ensures that the authors are acknowledged by the student thus avoiding plagiarism.  There are many forms of Harvard Referencing and it is important to adhere to and consistently follow the one you have been recommended by your lecturer or college.  We were given a referencing guide to support us and from this I learnt that there are different styles when referencing an article; book, online report etc. and the format for referencing within the text differs from the format used in the reference list or bibliography.

Tips:

• Record each reference correctly and in full as you are researching information for your assignment.  This ultimately saves you time and will reduces stress as the submission deadline draws near.
• Refer to the referencing guidelines as they contain many examples of how to reference correctly both within the text and in the reference list or bibliography.
• References in the reference list must be listed in alphabetical order.
• Becoming confident in using the Harvard style of referencing occurs over time as you submit assignments, literature reviews and professional practice reports etc.
• Being familiar with the referencing guide will also aid you in referencing during your exams when answering essay questions.
• Do not leave yourself vulnerable to loosing marks in your assignment by referencing poorly or inconsistently.  Always proof read your assignment and reference list for possible errors prior to submission.
• The Harvard system of referencing can be tedious but is worth the effort to maximise your % mark in assignments.

Referencing a Blog

Include the name of the blog author, the title of the message, the name of the web site and the date the message was posted. Bradley, P. 2010. Top 100 tools for learning 2010. Phil Bradley's web log [Online] 12 June 2010. Available at: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/ [Accessed: 18 June 2010].