Book with Author & Editor in Harvard

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 08/20/2025

Quoting a book with an editor and an author in Harvard style is a formal process that ensures all the most important contributors are credited. For scholarly integrity, where readers can identify, locate, and verify the source content, this is required. In Harvard, the author is typically the main focus, and the editor is indicated after the title with the words “Edited by.”

This guide addresses the entire format, main components, and in-text citation rules of quoting a book with an author and an editor in Harvard format. It uses straightforward examples from real sources and provides detailed explanations for each citation component.

Structure Key Points

Each component of the reference has a specific role to play. The following is a breakdown of each component with detailed guidance.

• Contributor information: The citation begins with the chief author’s last name, followed by a comma and the initial(s) of his/her first name(s) separated by full stops. Here, the author referred to is the chief writer of the work rather than the editor. Chief author can also be an organization or body corporate, and in such a case the full official name is provided as in the source and no initials are used.
• Year of publication (in round brackets): This occurs directly after the author’s name in round brackets, with no punctuation between the name and year. When assessing the precise year is not possible, “no date” can be used in the format (no date). For edited versions, place the year of the edition read.
• Title (in italics): The book title should be in italics, with only the capital first letter of the first word and proper nouns (sentence case). Subtitles use a colon, and they are also sentence case.
• Edited by: Next is the editor’s title with the words “Edited by”. This is always written out and capitalized only for “Edited”.
• Editor name(s): Write the first editor’s initials and last name with space before the last name and full stops between the initials. If there are several editors, write the various names separated by the word “and” but in lower case.
• Place of publication: The location should be the city where the book was published. If the city is not widely known, include the country or state for clarity.
• Publisher: Finally, quote the publisher’s name as it is in the book without incorporating terms like “Company,” “Ltd.,” or “Inc.” if it is not part of the official title.

Structure of the Reference List

The overall structure of a book with an author and an editor in Harvard style is as follows:

In-Text Citation Rules

In-text citations for books with both an author and editor in Harvard style focus on the author, not the editor. The presence of an editor affects only the reference list, not the in-text format.

Parenthetical Citation

Narrative Citation

Get the names in the correct order: Leave editors in the same order in which they appear in the original work. Changing the order will alter the original work and cause confusion to others who try to locate it. Check corporate or institutional authors: When the author is a company or institution rather than an individual, replace the full official name rather than the surname and initials of the author. This prevents confusion with individual authors and gives fair credit. Use the correct punctuation throughout: Harvard style uses specific punctuation in references—commas after surnames, full stops after initials, and a colon between publisher and the place of publication. Punctuation should be uniform for a professional list of references. Add subtitles to the reference: If the title of the book has a subtitle, place it after a colon and the title. Subtitles tend to provide the critical background of the topic of the work. Employ a consistent font and spacing: Employ the same type face, font size, and spacing for the list of references everywhere. Inconsistent formatting will render the list of references to look unprofessional as well as harder to read. Verify the publisher’s name for accuracy: There are more than one imprint publishers or publishers with slightly different names. Always cite title page for the assurance that the publisher’s name is quoted word for word as shown, and not abbreviated or assumed. Insert digital identifiers where necessary: For e-books, insert a DOI or stable URL at the end of the citation. This complies with readers in correctly locating the electronic version and helps to establish credibility in online scholarship.