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Citing Authorless Web Sources in Harvard Referencing: Guidelines and Examples

Citing Authorless Web Sources in Harvard Referencing: Guidelines and Examples

March 18, 2025 Education

Guidelines for Citing Authorless Web Sources in Harvard Referencing

The Harvard citation system is a widely used method for academic referencing, featuring a flexible approach to citing sources without an author. When dealing with web sources that lack an author and a date of publication, specific guidelines are necessary to ensure compliance with citation standards.

When No Author is Present

Harvard referencing requires the use of the website name or the name of the sponsoring organization in such cases. The general template for authorless web sources in Harvard reference format is:

Author surname Author initial. (Year published). Title. [Online]. Available at: URL. Accessed dd mmm yyyy.

However, if the source lacks both an author and a date of publication, there are two methods to cite the source:

n.a. Format

n.a. n.d. Title. [Online]. Available at: URL. Accessed dd mmm yyyy.

Example:

n.a. n.d. Understanding Epoxy. [Online]. Available at: http://... [Accessed 6 Jan. 2023].

Anytown University Epoxy Lab n.d. Understanding Epoxy. [Online]. Available at: http://... [Accessed 6 Jan. 2023].

Anon Format

The Anon format is another way to handle authorless web sources within the Harvard referencing system. The general template for the Anon format is:

Anon year of publication. Title of webpage. Website name. Available at: URL [Accessed date].

The in-text parenthetical reference uses the title of the webpage and the year of publication.

Example with Anon Format

Anon 2008. Light Houses. The Naked Listener's Weblog. Available at: [URL] [Accessed April 19 2018].

Referencing within the text would be done as follows:

ldquo;Light Houses 2008rdquo; or ldquo;The Naked Listener's Weblog 2008rdquo;

Conclusion

Harvard referencing offers flexible guidelines for handling various types of sources, including those without an author or date. By adhering to the appropriate format, whether it be the n.a. or the Anon format, researchers and academics can ensure their citations are accurate and consistent with established standards.

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