Chapter in a Volume of a Multivolume

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 09/04/2025

In academic writing, it is common to cite multivolume book chapters, especially where reference encyclopaedias and handbooks are constantly updated. Citing a volume chapter of a multivolume book using Harvard format requires great attention to detail. 

Key Elements for Citing a Chapter of a Multivolume Publication

• Chapter contributor details: The reference starts with the surname and initials of the chapter contributor(s) in the case of author(s). If the author is an organization, then it is mentioned in full.
• Year of publication: In round brackets immediately after the author(s).
• Title of chapter: In single quotation marks and in sentence case.
• Editors: The “in” is used to bring in the volume editors. They are listed in surname-first name(s), followed by initial(s), and “(ed.)” or “(eds.)” in round brackets.
• Series and volume information: The title of the series is given in italics, followed by the volume number and volume title, in italics.
• Publication information: The city of publication comes next, followed by a colon, the publisher, and the page range of the chapter.

Example Citation 

EXAMPLE IN-TEXT CITATION 

In the Harvard system, in-text citations may be one of two types: parenthetical and narrative.

Parenthetical

Parenthetical citation places the publication year and contributor’s name in round brackets. The author’s name does not join the sentence. It is used when greater emphasis is placed on the information than the author.

Narrative

Narrative citation is a citation style in which the chapter contributor’s name is in the sentence and then square brackets containing the year of publication. This type of citation clearly identifies the contribution.

Always start by acknowledging the chapter contributor first – Begin the reference with the chapter contributor, not volume editors. Add series and volume details – Give the full series name, volume number, and volume name so that readers can clearly identify the source. Double-check editor formatting carefully – After editors, add (ed.) for a single editor or (eds.) for multiple editors in round brackets. Insert page numbers for accuracy – Complete the reference with the page range of the chapter (e.g., pp. 210-230) to show where the information is located.