How to Cite a Book Chapter in Harvard Referencing
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Chapter Author (Year) 'Chapter Title', in Editor (Ed.), Book Title. Edition. Place: Publisher, pp. page range.
Citation Components
Chapter Author
Last, First.
Year
Publication year in parentheses.
Chapter Title
In single quotation marks. Sentence case.
Editor
First Last (Ed.) for single, First Last and First Last (Eds.) for multiple.
Book Title
Italicized. Sentence case.
Publication Info
Place: Publisher. Include page range with pp.
Real-World Example
Example Source
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly
2008
Flow: The psychology of optimal experience
Snyder, C. R.
Handbook of positive psychology
Oxford
Oxford University Press
330-341
Formatted Citation
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (2008) 'Flow: The psychology of optimal experience', in Snyder, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 330-341.
In-Text Citation
(Csikszentmihalyi 2008)
(Chapter Author Year)
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow. In Snyder, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of positive psychology, pp. 330-341. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Right:
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (2008) 'Flow: The psychology of optimal experience', in Snyder, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 330-341.
Why: Use full first name, chapter title in single quotation marks, (Year) format, and Place: Publisher order.
Wrong:
(Csikszentmihalyi, 2008) - using comma
Right:
(Csikszentmihalyi 2008) - use space
Why: Harvard uses space between author and year.
Wrong:
Csikszentmihalyi. 2008. 'Flow.' In Snyder (Ed.), Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Right:
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (2008) 'Flow: The psychology of optimal experience', in Snyder, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 330-341.
Why: Include full names, complete titles, and page range of the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if there's no editor? ▼
Use the author of the single-authored book: Author (Year) 'Chapter', Book Title. Place: Publisher.
How do I cite multiple chapters from the same book? ▼
Cite each chapter separately with full information, referencing the same edited book.
Do I always need page numbers? ▼
Yes, include the complete page range of the chapter in the reference list.
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