CDU Harvard referencing – formatting your reference list
(Microsoft Office 2010 – not suitable for Endnote users)
CDU Harvard style has quite specific formatting. Even if you’ve used Harvard
style at another university, it’s important to follow the CDU Harvard style guide.
An area that students often find difficult is formatting the reference list. The
reference list should be in alphabetical order, must contain particular
information, and use specified punctuation and spacing.
A reference list in CDU Harvard looks like this.
This tutorial starts with a short demonstration of four things you may need to
check when preparing your list:
1. Spacing
2. Delete extra returns
3. Sort the list into alphabetical order
4. Left-align the list
Check 1: Spacing
Spaces are important when referencing. Have a look at these two references.
Look at the names of the authors and see if you can spot the difference in the way
they are written. In the first reference, there is only one initial after the author’s
name. It has a space before and after it. In the second reference, there are two
initials after the author’s name. There is a space before and after the initials, but
no space between them. Spacing between two or more initials is not required.
You also need to space each new work. You can do this by pressing the enter or
return key, but there is a neater way.
Look at this example. It is single-spaced, and looks squashed together. Select the
reference list. Click once on the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the
paragraph group on the toolbar. The paragraph dialogue box will open. You’ll see
that spacing before and after are both set at 0, and line spacing is single. Use the
up arrow on the after box to set the spacing after each paragraph to 12pt. Use the
drop-down arrow on the line spacing box to set the space between each line to
1.5 or double. Click OK. Your reference list should look like this.
Check 2: Delete extra returns
Sometimes, students think they need to enter returns as they type in the
reference. Can you see how difficult it is to read this list? It doesn’t seem to make
any sense. Check that you have only one return after each item in the list by
turning on the pilcrow or paragraph marker. If it’s yellow, you’ll see all your
paragraph markers. These markers do not show up on your printed work. You
will then see all the extra returns very clearly. Delete all the extra returns so
there is just one return for each reference. Don’t worry if some web addresses
start on a new line – this can’t be helped. Your reference list should then look like
this.
Check 3: Sort the list into alphabetical order
Is this list in alphabetical order? The items in this list begin with Z, A, F, O, J, W
and G. This is not in alphabetical order. CDU Harvard requires the reference list
to be in English alphabetical order by the first author’s surname. To sort the list,
select the whole list; click the sort button on the paragraph task bar. A dialogue
box will open. Click OK. Your list is now in alphabetical order. Click anywhere on
the screen to deselect the list. It should look like this.
Check 4: Left-align the list
Some students think that the reference list needs special formatting, and they
either centre it or justify it. To correctly justify a reference list, select the list,
then click once on the left-align button on the paragraph group. Click anywhere
on the page to deselect the text. Your reference will then look like this.
Once you have formatted your reference list, it is easy to add new references.
Hint: it is useful to have the paragraph markers showing when you do this,
so make sure the pilcrow button is yellow.
If you need to add more references, place the cursor to the left of the first letter
of the reference that would come immediately after the new reference. Hit the
enter key once. Your reference list should then look like this. Move the cursor to
the new pilcrow and start typing the new reference. When you’ve finished, the
reference should look like this – the formatting will be automatic.
To sum up
1. CDU Harvard formatting is very precise.
2. There are four checks you need to make to ensure your CDU Harvard
reference list is correct.
3. Once the reference list is formatted, it is easy to add new references.