How to Cite a Social Media in Harvard Referencing
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Creator (Year) 'First 20 words of post [...]', Platform, @username, Day Month Year, available at: URL (accessed: Day Month Year).
Citation Components
Creator/Account
Full name or organization name.
Year
Year of post in parentheses.
Post Text
First 20 words in single quotation marks. Use [...] for truncation.
Platform
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok.
Username
Format: @username
Post Date
Day Month Year
URL/Access
available at: URL (accessed: access date)
Real-World Example
Example Source
World Health Organization
2023
Vaccination remains the most effective protection against serious COVID-19 [...]
@WHO
20 June 2023
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1234567890
21 June 2023
Formatted Citation
World Health Organization (2023) 'Vaccination remains the most effective protection against serious COVID-19 [...]', Twitter, @WHO, 20 June 2023, available at: https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1234567890 (accessed: 21 June 2023).
In-Text Citation
(World Health Organization 2023)
(Creator Year)
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
(WHO 2023) - using acronym without establishing first
Right:
(World Health Organization 2023) - use full name unless previously established
Why: Use full name in Harvard citations unless the acronym is universally recognized.
Wrong:
WHO. 2023. Vaccination post. Twitter @WHO. Posted 20 June 2023.
Right:
World Health Organization (2023) 'Vaccination remains the most effective protection against serious COVID-19 [...]', Twitter, @WHO, 20 June 2023, available at: URL (accessed: date).
Why: Use (Year), first ~20 words of actual post in quotation marks, and complete URL with access date.
Wrong:
(World Health Organization, 2023) - using comma
Right:
(World Health Organization 2023) - use space
Why: Harvard uses space between creator and year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cite the post date or my access date? ▼
Both: post date after the username, access date at the end.
What if the post is very long? ▼
Use first 20 words or first complete sentence (whichever is shorter), then [...] to show truncation.
Can I cite retweets or reshares? ▼
Cite the original post and creator, not the account that reposted. Mention the share in your text if relevant.
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