BibTeX to Harvard Converter
Paste BibTeX entries and get Cite Them Right Harvard references for your dissertation. Works with .bib files from Overleaf, Zotero, Mendeley, and Google Scholar. Free, no signup.
Free to use — no account required
What to do next
How it works
Step 1
Paste your BibTeX
Copy BibTeX entries from your .bib file, Overleaf, Zotero, Mendeley, or Google Scholar. Paste one or more @article, @book, or @inproceedings entries.
Step 2
Convert to Harvard
CiteMe parses the BibTeX fields and formats each entry as Harvard (Cite Them Right) — surname-initials authors, year in parentheses, single quotes around article titles, italic journal/book titles, abbreviated page ranges.
Step 3
Copy your Harvard references
Get Harvard-formatted reference list entries ready to paste into your dissertation. Smith, J.D. and Johnson, M.R. (2024) 'Article title', Journal Name, 29(4), pp. 123–145.
Why use CiteMe for BibTeX to Harvard?
Cite Them Right Harvard
The most-taught UK Harvard variant: author surname-initials, year in parentheses, single-quoted article titles, italic journal/book titles, abbreviated page ranges (pp. 123–45).
All BibTeX Entry Types
@article, @book, @inproceedings, @phdthesis, @mastersthesis, @incollection, @misc, @online — each formatted with the Harvard rule for that source kind.
Works with Overleaf
Export your LaTeX project bibliography as Harvard for journals or theses that require it. Keep BibTeX for your LaTeX build; copy Harvard for submissions or coursework.
Unicode & Accents
Preserves italic/bold from BibTeX. Handles Unicode author names correctly — including names with accents (Müller, García-López, O'Brien) common in international research literature.
BibTeX to Harvard — example
BibTeX input
@article{smith2024ml,
author = {Smith, John D. and
Johnson, Maria R.},
title = {Machine Learning in
Healthcare Diagnostics},
journal = {Nature Medicine},
year = {2024},
volume = {29},
number = {4},
pages = {123--145},
doi = {10.1038/s41591-024-0001}
}Harvard (Cite Them Right) output
In-text: (Smith and Johnson, 2024)
Works with BibTeX from anywhere
Overleaf
Copy the content of your .bib file directly from the Overleaf editor.
Zotero
Right-click references > Export Items > BibTeX (.bib).
Mendeley
File > Export > BibTeX. Paste the exported file content.
JabRef
Native BibTeX — open your .bib file and copy entries directly.
Google Scholar
Click the cite icon under any result > BibTeX. Copy the entry.
EndNote
File > Export > choose BibTeX filter. Open the .bib file and copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert BibTeX to Harvard referencing?
Paste your BibTeX entries into CiteMe. The tool parses the BibTeX fields (author, title, journal, year, doi) and formats each entry as a Harvard reference — author surname first with initials, year in parentheses, article title in single quotation marks, journal title italicised, with volume(issue), pages, and DOI.
Which Harvard variant does this follow?
Cite Them Right Harvard, the most widely used UK Harvard variant taught at universities like Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and most Open University courses. The output format is "Smith, J.D. and Johnson, M.R. (2024) 'Title of article', Journal Name, 29(4), pp. 123–145." matching Harvard standard for journals, books, edited volumes, and online sources.
Does this work with BibTeX from Overleaf?
Yes. Copy your BibTeX entries directly from your Overleaf .bib file and paste them here. CiteMe handles all standard BibTeX entry types: @article, @book, @inproceedings, @phdthesis, @misc, @incollection, @online.
Can I convert multiple BibTeX entries at once?
Yes. On the free plan you can convert up to 3 entries per submission. Pro users can paste an entire .bib file — each entry is converted to Harvard format and you can copy the full reference list in one go, ready to drop into your dissertation reference list.
How does Harvard differ from APA output?
Harvard puts the year in parentheses immediately after the author and uses single quotation marks around article titles ('Title'). APA puts the year in parentheses but does not use quotation marks. Harvard uses "and" between authors in the reference list; APA uses "&". Harvard often abbreviates page ranges (pp. 123–45); APA writes them in full.
Does it include in-text citations?
The output is the reference-list entry. For Harvard in-text citations, use the format (Smith and Johnson, 2024) for two authors or (Smith et al., 2024) for three or more. CiteMe shows a side-by-side preview; copy whichever you need for your essay or dissertation.
Will it handle my Cite Them Right university requirements?
Yes — output follows the latest Cite Them Right (Pears & Shields) guidance used at most UK universities. If your institution uses a custom Harvard variant (e.g., Anglia Ruskin Harvard), most differences are cosmetic — punctuation around year or italicisation conventions. Always cross-check one entry against your course handbook before submitting.
What about Harvard for books and chapters?
CiteMe handles @book and @incollection (book chapters) correctly. Books: "Smith, J.D. (2024) Title of book. 2nd edn. London: Publisher." Chapters: "Smith, J.D. (2024) 'Chapter title', in Editor (ed.) Book Title. London: Publisher, pp. 12–34." with edition, place, publisher, and page range pulled from BibTeX fields.
Keep the bibliography workflow moving
After converting BibTeX to Harvard, the next step is usually checking references against your dissertation prose, reformatting to APA for a different module, or extracting BibTeX from a PDF that was sent to you.
Paste BibTeX. Get Harvard references for your dissertation. No signup required.
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