How do I cite a book chapter in Harvard?

To cite a book chapter in Harvard (Cite Them Right), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What does the in-text citation look like for a book chapter in Harvard?

In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Chapter Author, Year, p. 25)

How to Cite a Book Chapter in Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Learn how to cite chapters and essays in edited books in Harvard format (Cite Them Right). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Harvard Reference List Format

Here is the standard Harvard format for citing a book chapter in your reference list:

Author, A.A. (Year) 'Title of chapter', in E. Editor (ed.) Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, pp. xx–xx.

Harvard Example for a Book Chapter

A complete Harvard reference for a book chapter, formatted by the official Harvard CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Kowalski, A. (2021) “Teaching citation as a habit of mind,” in Reyes, S. and Kim, J. (eds.) Handbook of Writing Instruction. 2nd ed. Boston: Academic Press, pp. 203–221.

Matching in-text citation: (Kowalski, 2021)

Harvard In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Chapter Author, Year, p. 25)

Narrative

Chapter Author (Year) observes...

Key Harvard Formatting Rules

Put the chapter title in single quotation marks; italicize the book title.
Introduce the editor with "in" and the role "(ed.)" or "(eds.)".
Give the chapter page range at the end as pp. xx–xx.
Include the place of publication and publisher.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your book chapter.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Harvard (Cite Them Right) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Harvard requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: harvard.csl

Metadata to collect

chapter author
chapter title
book editor
book title
edition
publisher and year
chapter page range
DOI

Common metadata traps

Cite the chapter author, not the book editor, as the author of the entry.
Give the full page range of the chapter, not only the pages you quoted.

Editorial sources

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a book chapter in Harvard?: To cite a book chapter in Harvard (Cite Them Right), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Harvard format for a book chapter citation?: The Harvard format for a book chapter is: Author, A.A. (Year) 'Title of chapter', in E. Editor (ed.) Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, pp. xx–xx.
What does the in-text citation look like for a book chapter in Harvard?: In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Chapter Author, Year, p. 25)