Format references in Harvard or APA 7
Paste your sources in any form. Get a reference list in Harvard or APA 7, in-text citations to match, and a list of details missing that you need to look up.
How to use it
- Check your uni's style Harvard has many versions, and several Australian universities have moved to APA 7. Your unit outline says which one to use.
- Paste every source URLs, messy citations, book details — whatever you have. Include the date you accessed web pages.
- Fill in the gaps Missing details (page numbers, publisher, DOI) are flagged, not invented. Look them up before you submit.
- Compare with the guide Check two or three references against your library's referencing guide; small details vary between versions.
The prompt
Format my references correctly.
Referencing style and version (for example Harvard as used by my university, AGPS Harvard, or APA 7th edition): [REFERENCING_STYLE]
My university, if known: [UNIVERSITY]
My sources, in any form (or use the attached document): [SOURCES_LIST]
Return:
- The reference list, alphabetical by author, formatted in the style I named, with italics shown in Markdown.
- For each source, the in-text citation (paraphrase and direct quote forms).
- A table of details that are missing or uncertain for each source (author, year, page range, publisher, DOI, access date) — mark them clearly in the reference instead of inventing them.
- Notes on any source that may not be suitable for academic work (for example a blog without an author) and what to look for instead.Never make up authors, dates, titles, page numbers or DOIs. Harvard has no single official version: follow the general conventions of the version I named and remind me to check two references against my university library's guide.
Example result
Reference list (APA 7)
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (year needed). Housing occupancy and costs (release period needed). https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/latest-release
Nguyen, T. (2023). Article title needed. Urban Policy and Research, 41(2), page range needed. DOI needed
Pawson, H., Milligan, V., & Yates, J. (2020). Housing policy in Australia: A case for system reform. Palgrave Macmillan.
In-text citations
| Source | Paraphrase | Direct quote |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | (Australian Bureau of Statistics, year) | (Australian Bureau of Statistics, year, para. x) |
| Nguyen | (Nguyen, 2023) | (Nguyen, 2023, p. x) |
| Pawson et al. | (Pawson et al., 2020) | (Pawson et al., 2020, p. x) |
In APA 7, three or more authors are shortened to "et al." from the first citation.
Missing or uncertain details
| Source | What to find |
|---|---|
| ABS | The release date of the edition you used (shown at the top of the page as "Released"). For "latest release" pages, cite the specific release, since the page changes. |
| Nguyen | The article title, page range and DOI — search the journal on your library database. Also confirm the author's full initials; "T Nguyen" may not be enough to tell authors apart. |
| Pawson et al. | The subtitle above is the book's published title, but confirm it against the copy you used. |
Sources to reconsider
- Domain renting blog: no author or date given, and it's commercial content. For a university assignment, look for the same point in a government source (state consumer affairs or tenancy authority) or a peer-reviewed article.
Check two of these references against UQ Library's APA 7 guide before submitting — small details such as capitalisation and italics are where marks are usually lost.