Introduction
Referencing is very important when it comes to any academic writing, especially in legal studies. Correct referencing is a must when one is thinking of giving credit to the original authors and sources for the credibility of their work.
Harvard referencing style is one of the most common citation styles in academic writing. When students are thinking about maintaining the integrity of their legal law assignments then using this citation is best. Because this citation offers a clear and consistent method for citing sources. In this blog let explore how to apply Harvard referencing in law assignments to improve the quality of the content.
What are the Basics of Harvard Referencing?
The expert who is an expert writer at law assignment help in the UK has suggested a few basic styles for writing Harvard referencing such as;-
Format
When students use the Harvard referencing system then they must know it is an author-date citation style that includes; –
The author’s surname and the year of publication are there when students are citing within their text.
The format for in-text citations is;-
(Author, Year), and the reference list, follows the format: Author(s), Year, Title, and Publisher.
Students make sure that while Harvard referencing citing consistency and accuracy is very important. Add a reference list and each entry into your source is cited in your text correctly.
When following proper format it helps in giving accurate credit but also allows readers to locate the sources easily.
In-Text Citations
Students can only include the author’s surname and the year of publication in their In-text citations.
For example
- For a book, students might write (Smith, 2020)
- For journals students might write (Jones, 2019)
- For website, (Gov. uk, 2021).
For example citing any legal sources, such as cases or statutes only use the case name or statute title and the year.
- (Donoghue v Stevenson, 1932) for a case
- (Human Rights Act 1998) for a statute.
Mainly these citations are used for briefing to indicate where the information is taken from, saying the reader can take their full reference entry for more details.
Reference List Format
When students use the reference list in Harvard style then it must be structured alphabetically including;-
- By the authors’ surnames.
- Provide full details of each source cited in your text
The entries that are enlisted must have all the necessary information so that the reader can find out the source easily such as;-
For books, it includes;-
- the author(s)
- year of the publication
- Title of the topic
- edition (if applicable), place of publication, and publisher.
When it comes to sourcing any legal cases the format must be;-
- Case name [Year]
- Volume number Report abbreviation Page number, and for statutes, it is Title of Act Year with chapter number.
Make sure that all lists of data are comprehended accurately and reflect all sources cited in the law assignment.
Referencing Different Legal Sources
When student cite their source for their legal assignment it differs from each type it has a specific format in Harvard referencing such as;-
1 For cases, the student must cite Case name [Year] Volume number Report abbreviation Page number.
Example
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562.
2 Likewise, as statutes; There must be a Title of the Act Year and a chapter number.
Example
Human Rights Act 1998, c. 42. Books
3 Similar to general legal text the format includes;- Author(s). (Year). Title. Edition. Place of publication.
Example Publisher, like Smith, J. (2020). Legal Research and Writing. 3rd ed. London: Oxford University Press. Journal articles.
4 If the student cited from the journal then the format must be;-
Author(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of journal, Volume number(Issue number), Page range.
Example Jones, M. (2019). The Evolution of Legal Precedents. Law Journal, 34(2), pp. 45-67.
5 From website;-
Author(s). (Year). Title. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date), such as Gov. uk. (2021). Legal Aid. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid (Accessed: 20 May 2024).
What Are the Common Mistakes to Avoid in Harvard Referencing?
Here are some tips given by the expert who is an expert writer at law assignment help in the UK
- Always cross-check your citations whether it is in a proper format.
- Ensure all required details are mentioned in each citation or not.
- Clarify all your doubts about how to place citations between books, journal articles, cases, statutes, and online sources.
- Follow the constant format throughout your law assignment.
- Prefer to collect data from primary sources over secondary ones when available.
- Verify whether the data collected and provided in your citations are all in the correct format or not.
- Check that each citation is complete and includes all relevant details.
- Ensure the reference list is alphabetically ordered by the authors’ surnames.
- Correctly place the publication year in the citation format.
- Check that URLs in online source citations are current and accessible.
Useful Tools and Resources for Harvard Referencing
There are many tools and resources one can use when using this Harvard referencing suggested by the expert who is an expert writer at law assignment help in the UK such as;-
- EndNote: A law assignment writing help tool to organize format citations and reference lists.
- Zotero: An open-source reference management software that helps to cite research sources
- Cite This For Me: online citation generator that can create accurate citations in Harvard style
- Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab): It is a law assignment writing help where all examples for Harvard referencing are included.
- Cite Them Right Online: All details are given from various types of sources in Harvard style.
- University Library Guides: Many university libraries give ideas on referencing guides and tutorials specific to the Harvard style.
Conclusion
This blog is the perfect guide for law assignment writing help when a student using the Harvard style for their law assignment. Read the blog and place the referencing in the right manner.