Conference papers are a common resource for academics. But how do you cite and reference one as a source using Harvard? Here’s our quick guide. We’ll focus on the Open University style, but Harvard conventions can vary between institutions, so make sure you check your own style guide too.
Citing a Conference Paper
An in-text citation includes the name and year in parentheses, like this:
Barnett (2018) says…
If you use a direct quote, you’ll need to add page numbers as well:
Barnett (2018, p. 12) says “…”
If you’re citing two authors, include both surnames separated by and. If you’re citing three or more authors, list the first surname followed by “et al.” If you’re missing an author’s name, you can use the name of the organization that published the paper. And if you’re missing a date, you can use “n.d.”
Referencing a Conference Paper
When adding a conference paper to a Harvard reference list, follow this format:
Author, A. (year of publication) “Title of Paper”, Title of Conference. Location, date of conference. Place of publication, Publisher, page numbers.
If you found the conference paper online, format the entry this way:
Author, A. (year of publication) “Title of Paper,” Title of Conference. Location, date of conference. Publisher [Online]. Available at URL (Accessed date).
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If you’re referencing an unpublished conference paper, you can omit the publisher information:
Author, A. (year of publication) “Title of Paper,” paper presented at Title of Conference. Location, date of conference.
Variations of Harvard Referencing
As we’ve said, the Harvard style has many variations. We’ve looked at the Open University version in this post, but make sure you check your institution’s style guide. And when in doubt, be sure to keep everything consistent.
Of course, you can always send your work our way! Our editors are Harvard referencing experts and will make sure you’ve formatted your references and citations correctly. They’ll also check your work for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more! Try it out for free today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the format for a Harvard citation?
Harvard uses author–date citations, with the author’s name and the year of publication in parentheses: (Smith, 2012).
How do you add an online conference paper to a Harvard reference list?
Follow a typical Harvard reference format but omit the location, add [Online] after the publisher name, and include the URL as well as the date you accessed the site.