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Harvard Style - Lectures

Free Harvard Lecture Citation Generator

Lecture notes, slides, and presentations are unpublished sources that require the module code, institution, and date of delivery in a Harvard citation. Enter the details below to generate a correctly formatted lecture citation for your assignment.

How to cite a lecture or powerpoint in Harvard

1

Search for the lecture or powerpoint

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

2

Check the Harvard formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

3

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete Harvard citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

Harvard Lecture Citation Formats

Unpublished Lecture:

Lecturer (Year) 'Title of lecture'. Module code: Module name. Institution. Date of lecture. [Unpublished].

Lecture Slides on VLE:

Lecturer (Year) 'Title of lecture'. Module code: Module name. Institution. Available at: VLE name (Accessed: day month year).

Guest Lecture:

Speaker (Year) 'Title of lecture'. Module code: Module name. Institution. Date. [Guest lecture].

Harvard Lecture Citation Examples

Live Lecture (Unpublished)

Brown, A. (2024) 'Introduction to research methods'. PS101: Psychology Research Methods. University of Manchester. 10 October. [Unpublished].

In-text: (Brown, 2024)

Recorded Lecture (VLE)

Williams, K. (2024) 'Qualitative data analysis'. SOC202: Research Methods in Sociology. University of Birmingham. Available at: Canvas (Accessed: 20 November 2024).

In-text: (Williams, 2024)

Guest Lecture

Chen, L. (2024) 'Data ethics in practice'. CS200: Computer Science Ethics. University of Leeds. 5 November. [Guest lecture].

In-text: (Chen, 2024)

Online Lecture (Platform)

Johnson, M. (2024) 'Research methodology explained'. Coursera. Available at: https://coursera.org/lecture/example (Accessed: 25 January 2024).

In-text: (Johnson, 2024)

Examples formatted in Harvard style

Special Cases for Lectures

  • Lecture recordings on YouTube or Panopto If the lecture is publicly available as a recording, cite it as a video instead. Use the Harvard video format with the platform name and URL.
  • Conference presentations For conference papers or presentations, use: Author (Year) 'Title of paper'. Paper presented at Conference Name, Location, Date. If published in proceedings, cite the proceedings instead.
  • Personal communications with lecturers If you are citing information from a conversation with a lecturer (not a formal lecture), use personal communication format: (Brown, 2024, personal communication, 10 October). These are typically cited in-text only and not included in the reference list.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite lecture slides in Harvard style?

Use the format: Lecturer (Year) 'Title of lecture'. Module code: Module name. Institution. Date of lecture. [Unpublished]. Example: Brown, A. (2024) 'Introduction to research methods'. PS101: Psychology Research Methods. University of Manchester. 10 October. [Unpublished].

How do I cite a recorded lecture in Harvard?

If the recorded lecture is available on a VLE such as Blackboard or Moodle, cite it as online lecture materials. Add: Available at: VLE name (Accessed: day month year). Example: Williams, K. (2024) 'Qualitative data analysis'. SOC202: Research Methods in Sociology. University of Birmingham. Available at: Canvas (Accessed: 20 November 2024).

Do I need to include the module code when citing a lecture?

Yes, Cite Them Right recommends including the module code and name to help readers identify the source. If the module code is unknown, include the module name alone.

How do I cite a guest lecture in Harvard style?

Cite a guest lecture the same way as a regular lecture, using the guest speaker as author. Add [Guest lecture] after the date to clarify the type. Example: Chen, L. (2024) 'Data ethics in practice'. CS200: Computer Science Ethics. University of Leeds. 5 November. [Guest lecture].

How do I cite an online lecture from Coursera or edX?

For lectures from online platforms, use the instructor as author and include the platform name. Example: Johnson, M. (2024) 'Research methodology explained'. Coursera. Available at: https://coursera.org/lecture/example (Accessed: 25 January 2024). If the lecture is part of a course, include the course title.

Cite Other Source Types in Harvard

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