Getting your citations right is a must for academic writing. Since a lot of sources these days come from online platforms like websites and videos, it can get tricky. Don’t worry, we’ve broken down how to cite those electronic sources in Harvard style, making it all a lot simpler for you.
Websites
| Reference | Websites |
|---|---|
| Format | Author’s name, initial (Year published). Page title. [online] Website name. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Mo. Year] |
| Example | National Library of Medicine, (2015). Pub-chem’s Official Website. [online] Available at: http://www.pubchem/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019] |
Note: If there is no author listed you can use the website name instead of the author’s surname and the remaining format will be the same (Website name, (Year published). Page title. [online] Available at URL [Accessed Day Mo. Year].)
If you are using any electronic sources such as images, audio, online videos, webpages, etc., you need to acknowledge the sources to avoid plagiarism.
Although there is no specific format of the Harvard Referencing style and different instates follow different guidelines, in this article, we tried to explain the in-text citation and referencing style of electronic sources through random examples.
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Pdf Documents
A pdf document can be in any form, such as an e-book, article, report, guide, research paper, etc. You can mention its mode in the bracket given in the format below
| Reference | Pdf Documents |
|---|---|
| Format | Author’s surname, Initials (Year of Publication). Title of the Article/Column/book, [Mode], Place of Publisher, Publisher Name, Web address, [Accessed Date] |
| Example | Gomez, J. (2020) Corporate Structure: Economic Downfall [pdf] Right Publication, Available at http:// economictrasnformation.com/ [ 20th December, 2019] |
Blogs
Blogs are great for the latest research, opinion pieces, and information on niche topics. Here’s how you cite one:
| Reference | Blogs |
|---|---|
| Format | Author’s surname, First initial. (Year published). Post title. (Blog)Blog name. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Mo. Year] |
| Example | Urooj, A. (2020). What is self-plagiarism?. (Blog) ResearchProspect. Available at: https://www.researchprospect.com/what-is-self-plagiarism/[ Accessed 20 May 2020] |
Social Media Posts
Citing social media posts has become important with the growing role of platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Here’s how to do it:
| Reference | Social Media Posts |
|---|---|
| Format | Author’s surname, Initials., Year. Title of page. [Social media type] Day/month post written. Available at: [ Accessed date] |
| Example | Agarwal, S., 2017. Digital Marketing. [Facebook/Twitter] 2 August 2017. Available at: https: www.digitalmarketing.com [Accessed 20 May 2020] |
Music Audios
When citing music or audio files, use this format for proper acknowledgment.
| Reference | Music Audios |
|---|---|
| Format | Performer or Writer’s Last name, First initial. (Year published). Recording title. [Medium] City published: Music Label |
| Example | Kumar, K. (1980). Sargam. [CD] Bollywood: T-series |
DVD, Videos or Movies
For movies, DVDs, or any video content, this is the format:
| Reference | DVD, Videos or Movies |
|---|---|
| Format | Film title. (Year published). Director/Filmmaker. [Format] Place of origin: Film studio |
| Example | Macbeth, (1948). [film]. Directed by Orson Welles USA: Republic Picture |
Podcasts
Podcasts are a rich source of knowledge, and referencing them properly is key.
| Reference | Podcasts | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Broadcaster/Author’s surname, initial. OR Corporate Author (Year published) Episode title. [podcast]. Podcast title. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Mo. Year] | |
| Example | Dan, J. Jenny. L. (2016) How to maintain a healthy diet. [podcast] Healthy talks. Available at: https:www.healthytalks.com [Accessed 6 May 2020] |
Images, Pictures, and Photographs
To cite images and photographs, you need to reference the creator and the date you accessed the image.
| Reference | Images, Pictures, and Photographs |
|---|---|
| Format | Last name, First initial. OR Corporate Author. (Year published). Title/description. [format] Available at URL [Accessed Day Mo. Year] |
| Example | Williams, A. (2013). DJ Gear. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/fbPZyV [Accessed 8 Apr. 2015] |
YouTube Videos
A YouTube video doesn’t contain the author’s name you can use its title and other details such as:
- Video’s title
- Date of uploading
- Uploader or Channel’s name
- URL of the Video
- Accessed date
| Reference | YouTube Videos |
|---|---|
| Format | Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader/channel name Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date] |
| Example | Dr. Bruce Lipton Explains How to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind (10 July 2019) YouTube video, Fearless Soul[online] Available at https://youtu.be/OqLT_CNTNYA [Accessed 20 April 2020] |
Frequently Asked Questions
In Harvard citation format, cite electronic sources by including:
- Author’s last name, first initial.
- Year of publication.
- Title of the webpage/document.
- Name of the website.
- Date accessed.
- URL. For example: Smith, J. (2023). “E-Commerce Trends.” Business Insights. Accessed July 15, 2023. https://www.example.com/e-commerce-trends
Citing your electronic sources keeps your work honest. It’s not just about avoiding plagiarism but referencing correctly gives credit where it’s due and allows others to find the same sources you used.
Why not, YouTube videos are perfectly fine to cite in your dissertation, as long as you reference them the right way. This way, multimedia sources get the acknowledgment they deserve.
