Mistakes Checklist
Common Harvard Website Citation Mistakes
Reference errors are common even in published research: 54% of 1,867 references in one journal's accepted articles had a mistake (Key & Roland, 1977). Use this page to catch the most frequent formatting failures before submission.
Top mistakes to avoid
- ⚠Forgetting the access date
- ⚠Not using "Available at:" format
- ⚠Omitting italics for titles
- ⚠Using incorrect date format
Wrong vs correct examples
Missing access date
Wrong
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/.
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Harvard style requires an access date for all online sources. Always include (Accessed: Day Month Year) at the end of web citations.
Wrong URL prefix format
Wrong
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Harvard uses "Available at:" before URLs, not "Retrieved from" (APA) or just the bare URL. This is a key distinguishing feature of Harvard referencing.
Date placed after title instead of after author
Wrong
NHS, Overview - Type 2 diabetes (2024). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
Correct
NHS (2024) Overview - Type 2 diabetes. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/ (Accessed: 20 March 2024).
In Harvard style, the year goes in parentheses directly after the author name, not after the title. The pattern is: Author (Year) Title.
Fix checklist
- ✓Include access date for all web sources
- ✓Use "Available at:" before URLs
- ✓Italicize page titles
- ✓Put access date in parentheses
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need an access date in Harvard style?
Yes, Harvard style requires access dates for all online sources to show when you retrieved the information.
How do I cite a website with no date?
Use "no date" or "n.d." in place of the year: Author (n.d.) Title...
Build the corrected citation now
Use the template and guide, then generate the final citation from verified academic sources.