Cite Them Right Harvard – Free Guide with Tools and Examples

Cite Them Right is a specific version of Harvard referencing created by Richard Pears and Graham Shields, now published by Bloomsbury Academic. It has become one of the most widely adopted referencing frameworks across UK higher education, offering a standardized approach to an otherwise varied system.

Unlike generic Harvard guides that leave room for interpretation, Cite Them Right provides explicit examples for over 150 source types. This precision is its main selling point: it tells students and researchers exactly how to format in-text citations and reference list entries for everything from academic journals to podcasts and social media posts.

The key difference between Cite Them Right Harvard and what many call “standard Harvard” lies in the detail. Standard Harvard is essentially a family of author-date styles with no single authoritative manual. Cite Them Right imposes a consistent set of rules for punctuation, bracket use, and the order of elements. This consistency is why institutions like the Open University and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) have adopted it as their institutional standard.

Overview of the Cite Them Right Harvard Style

Key Insights About Cite Them Right Harvard

• Cite Them Right is the most widely adopted Harvard referencing framework in UK universities.
• The 13th edition (2022) updated guidance for social media, podcasts, and AI-generated content.
• Most free generators (like MyBib) use Cite Them Right rules but lack the full example library of the official platform.
• Institutions like the Open University and MMU provide free access to the online version for their students.
• The key difference from standard Harvard is that Cite Them Right specifies exact punctuation, bracket use, and element order.

Fact Snapshot: Cite Them Right Harvard

How Do I Access and Use Cite Them Right Harvard for Free?

Access to Cite Them Right Harvard depends on your status. The full official online platform, available at citethemrightonline.com, offers the most comprehensive collection of examples and guidance. However, it requires an institutional subscription or personal purchase.

For students at subscribing universities, access is usually free through the library portal. Institutions like the Open University and MMU provide their students with direct login access to the online platform. If you are a student at one of these institutions, your library website will typically have a direct link.

Free Cite Them Right Harvard Referencing Guide generators are available for those without institutional access. Several platforms offer tools that automatically format references according to Cite Them Right rules, though they may not cover every nuance of the 13th edition.

Free Generators That Support Cite Them Right Harvard

• MyBib – Supports both Harvard and Harvard Cite Them Right styles. Updated for 2026. It offers autocite functionality and allows you to search by URL, book title, or article title. Download to Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
• Grafiati – Supports both the 12th and 13th editions of Cite Them Right. It covers a broad range of sources including academic publications, social media posts, podcasts, images, videos, webpages, and AI-generated content.
• Scribbr – Supports the Cite Them Right 12th edition. Search by title, URL, DOI, or ISBN. Sources include websites, books, articles, and reports. Verified by experts.

It is worth noting that while these generators are useful, they may not fully align with every nuance of the 13th edition. For example, MyBib supports Cite Them Right but may not reflect the 13th edition’s removal of place of publication for book references in all cases. Free Referencing Generators Supporting Cite Them Right provide a good starting point, but manual checking against the official guide is recommended for important submissions.

Cite Them Right Harvard Style Examples: Books, Images, and Quotes

The most common referencing task for students is citing a book. Under the Cite Them Right Harvard system, the format is straightforward.

How to Reference a Book Using Cite Them Right Harvard

For a standard book reference, the key elements are the author(s), year of publication, title, edition (if not the first), and publisher. The 13th edition removed the requirement to include the place of publication for modern books, unless the location is essential for identifying the publisher.

Example: Author(s) (Year) Title of the Book. Edition. Publisher.

How to Reference Images in Text Using Cite Them Right Harvard

Referencing images requires careful attention. For an image found online, you need the creator, date (if available, otherwise use “n.d.”), the title of the image (in italics), and the URL. In-text, you would cite the creator’s surname and the year.

How to Reference a Quote in Text Using Cite Them Right Harvard

For direct quotes, you must include the author, year, and page number in the in-text citation. The format is (Author, Year, p. Page Number). For example: “Referencing is essential for academic integrity” (Pears and Shields, 2022, p. 15).

How to Handle Multiple Authors and Et Al in Cite Them Right Harvard

Citing sources with multiple authors is a common source of confusion. Cite Them Right Harvard provides specific guidance for different numbers of authors.

Two or Three Authors

When a source has two or three authors, you list all of them in the in-text citation, linked by “and” (not an ampersand). In the reference list, you list all authors in the order they appear on the source.

In-text example: (Smith and Jones, 2020) or (Brown, Taylor and Wilson, 2021)

More Than Three Authors

For sources with more than three authors, the general rule is to use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in the in-text citation. The exact formatting can vary between institutions, but Cite Them Right uses “et al.” (with a full stop after “al”).

In-text example: (Williams et al., 2022)

In the reference list, you should list all authors up to a certain number (often six or ten, depending on your institution’s guidelines) before using “et al.” again. Check with your university’s specific requirements.

Institutional Variation

While Cite Them Right provides a standard, some universities, including the Open University and MMU, may have slightly localised adaptations for “et al.” formatting. The Open University, for example, provides a simplified quick guide version of Cite Them Right for its students. It is always wise to verify with your own university’s referencing guidelines.

How Do Universities Like the Open University Use Cite Them Right Harvard?

Adoption of Cite Them Right by major universities reflects a broader push for consistency in academic referencing across UK higher education. The Open University, one of the largest universities in the UK by student numbers, mandates the use of Cite Them Right Harvard for most of its courses.

The Open University provides a dedicated quick guide to Harvard referencing using Cite Them Right, available through its library website at university.open.ac.uk. This guide offers a concise overview for students who need a straightforward reference resource rather than the full online platform.

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) also uses a detailed library guide based on Cite Them Right, which includes practical examples and images to help students format references correctly. The UWS guide is available at uws-uk.libguides.com.

Timeline of Cite Them Right Editions

1. 2010: First edition of Cite Them Right published by Richard Pears and Graham Shields.
2. 2016: Online platform (citethemrightonline.com) launched for institutional access.
3. 2019: 10th edition released, adding digital media and social media guidance.
4. 2022: 13th edition published, includes AI, podcasts, and updated web source rules.
5. 2025–2026: Continued updates on the online platform; major UK universities mandate Cite Them Right Harvard.

What Is Certain and Uncertain About Cite Them Right Harvard?

Why Does Cite Them Right Exist as a Separate System?

Cite Them Right was not created merely as another style guide. It was designed as a pedagogical tool to reduce plagiarism and standardise referencing across higher education. Its adoption by major UK universities such as the Open University and MMU represents a deliberate move away from the older, less standardised “Harvard” approach, where conventions could vary widely between departments or even individual lecturers.

Unlike generic Harvard guides, Cite Them Right provides explicit examples for over 150 source types, including podcasts, social media posts, and now AI outputs. This depth of coverage is its key differentiator. The shift to the 13th edition signals an effort to keep referencing relevant in an era of diverse digital content, which is a challenge that standard Harvard often fails to address clearly.

What Do the Sources Say About Cite Them Right Harvard?

The official Cite Them Right Online platform states its purpose clearly:

“Get clear and concise referencing guidance with model examples to help you confidently acknowledge the work of others.”

— Cite Them Right Online

The Open University Library reinforces the importance of this system for its students:

“The guide on referencing from the Open University provides a concise overview of how to cite sources correctly using the Cite Them Right Harvard style.”

— Open University Library

Is Cite Them Right Harvard the Right Choice for You?

For anyone studying at a UK university that mandates Cite Them Right, mastering this system is essential. For those outside such institutions, the choice between Cite Them Right and another Harvard variant often depends on personal preference or departmental requirements. The system’s main advantage lies in its clarity and consistency, but free generators and institutional access options make it accessible even without a subscription. Check your university’s specific guidelines to see which edition (12th, 13th, or another variation) you should follow.

Frequently Asked Questions