Guide to Plagiarism, Research and Referencing

Examples of referencing using Harvard style:

Textbooks

When referencing textbooks in Harvard style, it is important to distinguish between:

  1. A textbook written entirely by the same author(s)
  2. An edited book where different chapters are written by different authors

The way you format the reference depends on whether you are citing the whole book or just a specific chapter written by a contributing author.

Authored Textbook (Single or Multiple Authors)

A textbook that is fully written by one or more authors should be referenced using the author(s) name(s), year, book title (in italics), edition (if applicable), publisher, and location.

Format:

Author(s) surname first, followed by initials (no full names).
Year of publication in brackets (no full stop after the year).
Book title in italics and title case (capitalize all major words).
Edition included (if not the first edition).
Publisher name and location (e.g., Oxford University Press, Melbourne).
If accessed online, include viewed date & URL.

Example of an Authored Textbook (Single Author):

Jones, P 2015, Veterinary Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Example of an Authored Textbook (Two Authors):

Brown, K & Taylor, R 2018, Animal Behaviour and Welfare, 3rd edn, Cambridge University Press, London.

Example of an Authored Textbook (Three or More Authors):

Smith, J, Green, L & White, P 2020, Fundamentals of Small Animal Surgery, Elsevier, Sydney.
(If more than 20 authors, list the first 19 followed by ‘et al.’)

Edited Textbook (Different Authors for Individual Chapters)

An edited book contains chapters written by different authors, with an editor (or editors) overseeing the entire book.

  • If citing the entire book, reference it under the editor’s name, using “(ed.)” for one editor or “(eds.)” for multiple editors.
  • If citing a specific chapter, reference the chapter author, followed by “in” and the editor’s name.

Format:

Chapter author(s) surname first, followed by initials (no full names).
Year of publication in brackets (no full stop after the year).
Chapter title in single quotation marks (sentence case—capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
Use “in” before listing the book editor(s) (initials before surname) followed by “(ed.)” for one editor or “(eds.)” for multiple editors.
Book title in italics and title case (capitalize all major words).
Edition included (if not the first edition).
Page range of the chapter (e.g., pp. 100-120).
Publisher name and location (e.g., Elsevier, Sydney).
If accessed online, include viewed date & URL.

Example of an Edited Book (Citing the Whole Book):

Smith, J (ed.) 2019, Advanced Canine Physiotherapy, Routledge, New York.

Taylor, R & Green, L (eds.) 2021, Rehabilitation in Small Animal Practice, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Example of a Chapter from an Edited Book:

White, J 2020, ‘Understanding the role of hydrotherapy in animal rehabilitation’, in R Black & S Adams (eds.), Rehabilitation Techniques for Companion Animals, Elsevier, Sydney, pp. 100-120.

When to Use Each Format

Scenario Reference Format Example
You are referencing the entire book written by the same author(s) Use the authored book format Jones, P 2015, Veterinary Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
You are referencing the entire book, but it is edited (multiple chapter contributors) Use the edited book format Smith, J (ed.) 2019, Advanced Canine Physiotherapy, Routledge, New York.
You are citing a specific chapter written by a contributor in an edited book Use the chapter in an edited book format White, J 2020, ‘Understanding the role of hydrotherapy in animal rehabilitation’, in R Black & S Adams (eds.), Rehabilitation Techniques for Companion Animals, Elsevier, Sydney, pp. 100-120.

Final Notes

  • If the book has one or multiple authors, cite it under their names (not under the editor if there is also an editor).
  • If you are citing a chapter from an edited book, cite the individual chapter author(s), followed by the book editor(s).
  • Always include the edition if it is not the first edition.

In-text citations

General Rules for In-Text Citations:

Single author: Use the author’s surname and year (e.g., Smith 2020).
Two authors: Use both surnames, joined by an ampersand (&) (e.g., Jones & Taylor 2019).
Three or more authors: Use all names in the first citation, then use et al. for subsequent citations (e.g., Brown, Green & White 2021 first, then Brown et al. 2021 after).
Direct quotes require a page number (e.g., Smith 2020, p. 45).
If citing a chapter from an edited book, cite the chapter author(s), not the editor(s) (e.g., White 2020).
If multiple works by the same author in the same year, differentiate them with letters (e.g., Jones 2020a, Jones 2020b).

EXAMPLES

Single Author

  • Author mentioned in the sentence:

Smith (2020) explains that proper nutrition is essential for maintaining animal health.

  • Author not mentioned in the sentence:

Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining animal health (Smith 2020).

  • Direct quote:

“A balanced diet is necessary to prevent nutritional deficiencies” (Smith 2020, p. 45).

Two Authors

  • Author mentioned in the sentence:

Jones and Taylor (2019) highlight the importance of early socialisation in puppies.

  • Author not mentioned in the sentence:

Early socialisation helps puppies adapt to new environments (Jones & Taylor 2019).

  • Direct quote:

“Puppies that receive early socialisation are more confident as adults” (Jones & Taylor 2019, p. 78).

Three or More Authors

  • First citation (list all authors):

Brown, Green and White (2021) found that environmental enrichment improves animal welfare.

  • Subsequent citations (use et al.):

Brown et al. (2021) confirmed that proper enrichment reduces stress in shelter animals.

  • Direct quote:

“Providing species-appropriate enrichment significantly reduces stress” (Brown, Green & White 2021, p. 102).

Chapter in an Edited Book (Citing the Chapter Author, Not the Editor)

  • Author mentioned in the sentence:

White (2020) discusses how hydrotherapy benefits rehabilitation in injured animals.

  • Author not mentioned in the sentence:

Hydrotherapy is a key component of rehabilitation (White 2020).

  • Direct quote:

“Hydrotherapy reduces muscle stiffness and increases mobility in animals” (White 2020, p. 120).

Reference list

Structure:

For an authored book: List the author(s) surname first, followed by initials (e.g., Smith, J).
For an edited book: List the editor(s) surname first, followed by initials, with (ed.) for a single editor or (eds.) for multiple editors (e.g., Jones, P (ed.) or Taylor, K & Green, L (eds.)).
For a chapter in an edited book: List the chapter author(s) surname first, followed by initials, then use “in” before listing the book editor(s) (e.g., White, J 2020, ‘Title of chapter’, in R Black & S Adams (eds.)).
Year of publication in brackets (e.g., Smith, J 2020).
Book title in italics and title case (capitalize all major words).
Include edition number if not the first edition (e.g., 2nd edn).
Include the publisher name and location (e.g., Oxford University Press, Melbourne).
For a chapter in an edited book, include the page range of the chapter (e.g., pp. 100-120).
If accessed online, include the viewed date & URL (e.g., viewed 10 February 2024, https://www.cambridge.org/equine-nutrition).

EXAMPLES

Authored Textbooks (Whole Book)

Single Author:

Smith, J 2020, Fundamentals of Animal Care, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Two Authors:

Jones, B & Taylor, K 2019, Canine Behaviour and Training Techniques, Cambridge University Press, London.

Three or More Authors:

Brown, R, Green, L & White, P 2021, Veterinary Clinical Procedures, Elsevier, Sydney.

  • (If more than 20 authors, list the first 19 followed by ‘et al.’)

Online Book:

Taylor, R 2022, Essentials of Veterinary Anaesthesia, 2nd edn, Elsevier, viewed 10 February 2024, https://www.elsevier.com/vet-anaesthesia.

Edited Textbooks (Citing the Whole Book, Not a Specific Chapter)

Single Editor:

Smith, J (ed.) 2019, Advanced Canine Physiotherapy, Routledge, New York.

Two or More Editors:

Taylor, R & Green, L (eds.) 2021, Rehabilitation in Small Animal Practice, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

A Chapter from an Edited Book (When Citing a Specific Chapter)

Print Book Example:

White, J 2020, ‘Understanding the role of hydrotherapy in animal rehabilitation’, in R Black & S Adams (eds.), Rehabilitation Techniques for Companion Animals, Elsevier, Sydney, pp. 100-120.

Online Book Example:

Taylor, P 2022, ‘Nutritional considerations for ageing horses’, in M Green & L Brown (eds.), Equine Health and Nutrition, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, London, pp. 55-72, viewed 10 February 2024, https://www.cambridge.org/equine-nutrition.