How to Format Contributors in Harvard

Correct citing of contributors in academic work ensures clarity, traceability, and academic honesty. The Harvard system presents a structured way of citing authors’ names, editors, translators, and other contributors.

This article is an exhaustive tutorial on how to cite different types of contributors in Harvard style, using real-life scenarios. It uses simple and clear language with a third-person point of view.

Single Author

When referencing a source written by a single author, Harvard style places the author’s surname first, followed by their initials.

Example Gladwell, M.
Structure Author Surname, Author Initial.

Two Authors

For sources with two authors, both names are listed in the order they appear in the source, joined by “and”.

Example Dweck, C. and Leggett, E
Structure Author1 Surname, Author1 Initial. and Author2 Surname, Author2 Initial.

Three Authors

When there are three authors, list all their surnames and initials. Use commas to separate the first two names, and “and” before the last name.

Example Kahneman, D., Slovic, P. and Tversky, A
Structure Author1 Surname, Author1 Initial., Author2 Surname, Author2 Initial. and Author3 Surname, Author3 Initial.

Four or More Authors

For sources with four or more authors, only the first author’s name is listed, followed by “et al.” in italics, which is a Latin abbreviation meaning “and others”.

Example Banerjee, A.V. et al
Structure Author1 Surname, Author1 Initial. et al.

Single Editor

If the work is edited by one person, Harvard style uses the abbreviation “(ed.)” after their name.

Example Sandel, M.J. (ed.)
Structure Editor Surname, Editor Initial (ed.)

Two Editors

For a source with two editors, both names are included followed by the abbreviation “(eds.)”.

Example Sen, A. and Nussbaum, M. (eds.
Structure Editor1 Surname, Editor1 Initial. and Editor2 Surname, Editor2 Initial. (eds.)

Three Editors

Example Lowe, B., Carrie, J. and Manning, J. (eds.) 
Structure Editor 1 Surname, Editor 1 Initial., Editor 2 Surname, Editor 2 Initial. and Editor 3 Surname, Editor 3 Initial. (eds.)

Four or More Editors

When a source has four or more editors, list only the first editor followed by “et al.” in italics and the abbreviation “(eds.)”.

Example Ginsberg, R.B. et al. (eds.
Structure Editor1 Surname, Editor1 Initial(s). et al. (eds.)

Using a Translation

When a work has been translated, the translator’s name is included after the title, introduced by the phrase “Translated by”.

Example Translated by V.J. Hollingdale
Structure Translated by Translator Initial(s). Translator Surname

Corporate Author or Group Author

When an organization or institution is responsible for a publication, use its full name as the author.

Example Blast Radius Partners
Structure Organization Name

No Author

If a source does not have an identifiable author, begin the reference with the title of the work in italics.

Example Global economic prospects
Structure Title of Work

Do not list “Anonymous” unless the source itself uses it. Alphabetize this type of entry by title.

Online Contributors (Including Social Media)

For social media or user-generated content, include the contributor’s real name followed by their handle in square brackets. If only the username is available, use it in place of the name.

Example Kendi, I.X. [@DrIbram]
Structure Surname, Initial(s). [@username]

Use Consistent Capitalisation for Initials and Surnames: Always capitalise initials and surnames when listing contributors. When citing foreign names or stylised formats, maintain consistency by keeping the initials uppercase and presenting surnames in standard capitalisation.

Keep Original Order of Contributor Names: Always list contributor names in the exact order they appear in the source. Do not alphabetise or rearrange names, especially for co-authored works or edited collections.

Use an En Dash for Name Ranges in Editors or Contributors: When citing a range of pages or volumes edited by a contributor, use an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-), between numbers. This applies when referencing edited volumes where a contributor is responsible for a section within a range.

Special Characters: When quoting authors whose names contain accents, diacritical marks, or special characters, retain them intact without modification from the way they appear in the source. The aim is to be precise and not diverge from the original spelling.

Spell Out “and” in All Contributor Listings: In Harvard style, the word “and” is always spelled out between the last two contributors — never replaced with an ampersand (&), even if the original source uses it.

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Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)

Hannah Berry has lectured at several colleges and teaches at the WEA. Besides publishing extensively, she has taught citation skills and written multiple style guides.

Learn how to cite in Harvard