CIPD Harvard Referencing
August 13, 2026 2026-08-13 9:29CIPD Harvard Referencing
CIPD Level 3, 5 and 7
CIPD Harvard Referencing: The Complete Guide
A step-by-step reference guide for CIPD students at every level (Foundation, Associate, and Advanced Diploma) on how to reference correctly using the Harvard system.
Section 1
What Is Harvard Referencing and Why CIPD Requires It
Harvard referencing is an author-date citation system. It has two connected parts: a short in-text citation in the body of your assignment (author, year, and sometimes page number), and a full reference list at the end of your work, giving complete publication details for every source cited.
CIPD assignments — across Foundation (Level 3), Associate (Level 5), and Advanced (Level 7) qualifications — require Harvard referencing for several reasons:
- It evidences wider reading. CIPD wants to see that your arguments are grounded in HR theory, models, and evidence-based practice, not just opinion.
- It supports the CIPD Profession Map. Being able to draw on credible evidence and reference it properly reflects the ‘evidence-based practice’ behaviour expected of HR professionals.
- It protects you from plagiarism accusations. Unreferenced ideas or wording taken from another source can be flagged by centres as academic misconduct, even if unintentional.
- It is assessed. Most CIPD assignment briefs include referencing as a specific assessment criterion, and markers will comment on it even where it isn’t separately graded.
CIPD centres almost always ask for Harvard style, but always check your own centre or tutor’s referencing guide first, as some make small local variations. This guide follows the standard Harvard convention used by the vast majority of CIPD centres, based on Cite Them Right Harvard — the version most UK universities and CIPD study centres adopt.
Section 2
The Two Parts of Every Reference
Every single source you use must appear in both places:
| Part | Where it goes | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Citation | In the sentence, as you use the idea | (CIPD, 2023) |
| Reference | In the alphabetical list at the end | CIPD (2023) Employee engagement. Factsheet. London: CIPD. |
Golden rule: if a source is cited in the text, it must appear in the reference list — and vice versa. Never list a source you haven’t cited, and never cite a source that isn’t in your list.
Section 3
In-Text Citations: The Complete Rules
Every single source you use must appear in both places:
| Part | Where it goes | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Citation | In the sentence, as you use the idea | (CIPD, 2023) |
| Reference | In the alphabetical list at the end | CIPD (2023) Employee engagement. Factsheet. London: CIPD. |
Golden rule: if a source is cited in the text, it must appear in the reference list — and vice versa. Never list a source you haven’t cited, and never cite a source that isn’t in your list.
Section 3
In-Text Citations: The Complete Rules
3.1 Basic format
The standard in-text citation is:
(Author Surname, Year)
Example: Employee engagement is strongly linked to discretionary effort (Armstrong, 2020).
3.2 When the author’s name is part of your sentence
If you name the author in your own sentence, only the year goes in brackets:
3.3 Citing a direct quote (needs a page number)
If the source has no page numbers (e.g. a webpage), use a paragraph number or the section heading instead, e.g. (CIPD, 2023, para. 3).
3.4 Two authors
Name both, joined by ‘and’ (not ‘&’) in running text, and use ‘and’ in the citation too:
3.5 Three or more authors
Name the first author followed by et al. (Latin for ‘and others’), always italicised. The full reference list entry still lists all authors in full.
3.6 No identifiable author (organisational or corporate author)
Use the organisation’s name as the author, or abbreviate consistently once you’ve used the full name once:
3.7 No date available
Use ‘n.d.’ (no date):
3.8 Two or more sources by the same author, same year
Add lower-case letters after the year, matching the order they appear in your reference list:
3.9 Citing two different sources for the same point
Separate with a semi-colon, usually ordered chronologically (oldest first):
3.10 Citing a source with no page numbers you’re paraphrasing
Page numbers are only required for direct quotes or when pointing to a very specific idea/statistic within a long document. General paraphrased ideas just need (Author, Year).
3.11 Citing a source discussed by another author (secondary referencing)
See full explanation in Section 8. In-text, it looks like:
Section 4
The Reference List: Formatting Rules
4.1 General structure
- Titled “References” (not “Bibliography” — a bibliography includes sources you read but didn’t cite; CIPD assignments almost always want a References list of only cited works).
- Alphabetical order by author surname (or organisation name).
- If you have two references by the same author, order them by year (oldest first); if same author and same year, use 2020a, 2020b as in Section 3.8.
- Hanging indent formatting: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented (this is a Word/formatting feature, not something you type manually).
- Do not number the list.
- Single-spaced within each reference, with a blank line or space between each entry for readability.
4.2 The core elements, in order
Most references follow this basic order (though it varies slightly by source type — see Section 5):
4.3 Capitalisation
- Book/report titles: capitalise only the first word and any proper nouns (sentence case), e.g. Human resource management at work
- Journal titles: capitalise every main word (title case), e.g. Human Resource Management Journal
4.4 Italics
Always italicise: book titles, journal titles, report titles, and the word et al. Never italicise article titles within a journal — these go in the reference in plain text (sometimes in single quotation marks, depending on your centre’s exact style guide).
Section 5
Referencing by Source Type (with Examples)
5.1 Book (single author)
Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of book. Edition (if applicable). Place of publication: Publisher.
5.2 Book (two authors)
5.3 Book (three or more authors)
List all authors in the reference list (only the in-text citation uses et al.):
5.4 Chapter in an edited book
Surname, Initial. (Year) ‘Title of chapter’, in Editor Surname, Initial. (ed.) Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, pp. page numbers.
5.5 Journal article
Surname, Initial. (Year) ‘Title of article’, Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp. page numbers.
5.6 Journal article accessed online (with DOI)
5.7 Website / webpage
Author/Organisation (Year) Title of webpage. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). Always include the accessed date, as web content can change or be removed.
5.8 Online news article
Surname, Initial. (Year) ‘Title of article’, Newspaper Name, day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
5.9 Government publication
Name of Department (Year) Title of publication. Place of publication: Publisher.
5.10 Legislation (UK Acts of Parliament)
In-text: (Equality Act 2010) — no author, italicise the short title.
5.11 Case law
Case Name [Year] Court, Case reference or citation.
5.12 Company annual report
Company Name (Year) Annual report [Year]. Place of publication: Publisher (if identifiable, otherwise omit).
5.13 Podcast
Presenter/Host Surname, Initial. (Year) ‘Episode title’, Podcast title. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
5.14 YouTube video / online video
Uploader/Channel Name (Year) Title of video. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
5.15 Lecture notes / VLE material
Lecturer Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of lecture/slides [Lecture notes]. Module code, Institution name. Available at: VLE URL (Accessed: date). Many CIPD centres discourage or disallow citing lecture slides as an academic source — check your centre’s policy first.
Section 6
Referencing CIPD-Specific Sources
6.1 CIPD Factsheet
CIPD (Year) Title of factsheet. Factsheet. London: CIPD.
6.2 CIPD Factsheet accessed online
6.3 CIPD Profession Map
6.4 CIPD Report or Research Report
6.5 CIPD Podcast
6.6 People Management magazine (CIPD’s own publication)
6.7 In-text citation for all CIPD sources
Whichever CIPD document type you use, the in-text citation is simply (CIPD, 2023). Multiple CIPD sources from the same year need the 2023a / 2023b treatment (Section 3.8).
Section 7
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarising
CIPD markers generally want to see your own analysis, supported by evidence — not long strings of quotations. As a rule of thumb:
- Paraphrase and summarise the vast majority of the time — put the idea in your own words and cite the source.
- Quote directly only when the exact wording matters (e.g. a legal definition, a precise statistic, or a particularly well-phrased definition you want to critique or build on).
- Keep direct quotes short. Long block quotes rarely add value in a professional HR assignment and can suggest a lack of independent analysis.
Short quote (under ~40 words)
Incorporated into the sentence with quotation marks.
Long quote (40+ words)
Set apart as an indented block, without quotation marks, in a slightly smaller font if your centre’s style requires it. Always follow a quote with your own explanation or analysis — never let a quote stand alone as if it speaks for itself.
Section 8
Secondary Referencing (Citing a Source Within a Source)
Sometimes you’ll read a textbook that discusses another researcher’s study, but you haven’t read that original study yourself. This is called secondary referencing, and it should be used sparingly — it’s always better to find and read the original source if you can.
In-text format
Reference list
You only reference the source you actually read — Torrington et al. (2020) — not Taylor (1911), because you haven’t read Taylor’s original work directly.
Section 9
Common Mistakes That Lose Marks
| Mistake | Why it’s a problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Citing a source in text but not including it in the reference list (or vice versa) | Breaks the “golden rule” — markers check this | Cross-check every citation against your list before submitting |
| Using ‘&’ instead of ‘and’ in running text | Harvard convention uses ‘and’ in-text; many CIPD centres prefer ‘and’ throughout | Use ‘and’ consistently |
| No page number on a direct quote | Can’t be verified or located by the marker | Always include p. or pp. for quotes |
| Listing references in the order they appear in the text, rather than alphabetically | Harvard requires alphabetical order by surname | Sort A–Z by author surname before submitting |
| Referencing lecture slides or the CIPD study text as a primary academic source without checking centre policy | Some centres don’t accept this as valid wider reading | Prioritise original CIPD factsheets, textbooks, journal articles |
| Inconsistent formatting (some titles italicised, some not; some with full stops, some without) | Looks unprofessional and undermines credibility | Use a single formatting style throughout, consistently applied |
| Over-quoting instead of paraphrasing | Reads as a lack of independent understanding | Paraphrase in your own words wherever possible |
| Missing “Accessed” dates on web sources | Required for Harvard web references | Add (Accessed: [date]) to every website reference |
| Using Wikipedia as an academic source | Not considered a credible, citable academic source | Use CIPD factsheets, Acas, gov.uk, peer-reviewed journals, textbooks instead |
| Copy-pasting text from a source without quotation marks, even with a citation | This is still plagiarism, even if cited | Quote properly with quotation marks, or paraphrase fully |
Section 10
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work, words, or ideas as your own — whether intentional or accidental. CIPD centres take this seriously, and most run submissions through plagiarism-detection software (e.g. Turnitin).
To stay safe:
- Always cite the source of an idea, statistic, model, or theory — even if you’ve reworded it.
- Never copy sentences directly from a source and just change a few words (‘patchwriting’) — this can still be flagged as plagiarism.
- If in doubt, cite it. Over-referencing is a far smaller problem than under-referencing.
- Keep a running log of every source you read while researching, so nothing gets missed when compiling your final reference list.
- Understand the difference between a reference list (only sources cited) and a bibliography (everything you read) — check which your assignment brief asks for.
Section 11
Full Worked Example: Reference List
Here’s what a properly formatted CIPD reference list looks like in practice, combining several source types, correctly alphabetised:
References
Acas (2023) Managing conflict at work. Available at: acas.org.uk/managing-conflict-at-work (Accessed: 4 August 2026).
Armstrong, M. (2020) Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. 15th edn. London: Kogan Page.
CIPD (2023a) Employee engagement and motivation. Factsheet. London: CIPD.
CIPD (2023b) Good work index 2023: survey report. London: CIPD.
Equality Act 2010, c. 15. London: The Stationery Office.
Guest, D. E. (2017) ‘Human resource management and employee well-being: towards a new analytic framework’, Human Resource Management Journal, 27(1), pp. 22–38.
Marchington, M. and Wilkinson, A. (2021) Human resource management at work. 7th edn. London: CIPD Kogan Page.
Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S. and Atkinson, C. (2020) Human resource management. 11th edn. Harlow: Pearson.
Notice how CIPD (2023a) and CIPD (2023b) are distinguished, and everything is strictly alphabetical.
Section 12
Quick-Reference Cheat Sheet
| Source type | In-text citation | Reference list format |
|---|---|---|
| Book (1 author) | (Armstrong, 2020) | Surname, Initial. (Year) Title. Edn. Place: Publisher. |
| Book (2 authors) | (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2021) | Surname, Initial. and Surname, Initial. (Year) Title. Edn. Place: Publisher. |
| Book (3+ authors) | (Torrington et al., 2020) | List all authors in full in reference list |
| Journal article | (Guest, 2017) | Surname, Initial. (Year) ‘Article title’, Journal, Vol(Issue), pp. xx–xx. |
| Website | (CIPD, 2023) | Author (Year) Title. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). |
| CIPD factsheet | (CIPD, 2023) | CIPD (Year) Title. Factsheet. London: CIPD. |
| Legislation | (Equality Act 2010) | Short title Year, c. number. Place: Publisher. |
| Direct quote | (Armstrong, 2020, p.45) | Same as normal book/article entry |
| No author (organisation) | (Acas, 2023) | Organisation (Year) Title. Place: Publisher. |
| No date | (Acas, n.d.) | Use ‘n.d.’ in place of year |
| Secondary source | (Taylor, 1911, cited in Torrington et al., 2020) | Reference only the source you actually read |
Section 13
Checklist Before You Submit
- Every in-text citation has a matching entry in the reference list
- Every reference list entry has been cited at least once in the text
- Reference list is titled “References” and sorted A–Z by author surname
- Book, journal, and report titles are italicised; article titles are not
- All direct quotes include a page number (or paragraph/section if unpaginated)
- ‘and’ used (not ‘&’) joining two authors in running text
- Three or more authors shortened toet al.in-text, but listed in full in the reference list
- All website references include an “Accessed: [date]”
- Same-author, same-year sources are distinguished with a, b, c
- No Wikipedia or non-credible sources used
- Formatting is consistent throughout (same punctuation, same italics rules)
- Reference list checked against your CIPD centre’s specific style guide, in case of local variations
