How do I cite a secondary source in Harvard?

To cite a secondary source 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 secondary source in Harvard?

In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Zukofsky, 1931, quoted in Costello, 1981, p. 78)

How to Cite a Secondary Source in Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Learn how to cite a source you found quoted or cited in another work 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 secondary source in your reference list:

In text: (Original Author, Year, quoted in or cited in Secondary Author, Year, p. #). Reference list: the secondary source only.

Harvard Example for a Secondary Source

A complete Harvard reference for a secondary source, written by hand and checked against the official Harvard guidance for this source:

Costello, B. (1981) Marianne Moore: imaginary possessions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Matching in-text citation: (Zukofsky, 1931, quoted in Costello, 1981, p. 78)

Harvard In-Text Citation

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

Parenthetical

(Zukofsky, 1931, quoted in Costello, 1981, p. 78)

Narrative

Zukofsky (1931, quoted in Costello, 1981, p. 78)

Key Harvard Formatting Rules

Write quoted in when you use the original author’s words and cited in when you paraphrase or summarize them.
Give the original author and year, then the secondary author, year and the page you read.
Only the source you read goes in the reference list.
Join two or three secondary authors with and, and use et al. from four authors, as in (France, 2003, quoted in Weingart et al., 2018, p. 24).

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your secondary source.
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 on this page are written by hand from the style's own published guidance and checked against it, because the general CSL styles do not encode this source's rules. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

Metadata to collect

original author and year, if the work you read gives them
full details of the work you actually read
page in the work you read
whether you are quoting or paraphrasing
original title and page, as the work you read reports them

Common metadata traps

Listing the original work as if you had read it makes any error in the secondary source your own; list only what you opened, unless the style is Chicago.
The page number belongs to the work you read, because that is the page your reader can check.
Every style asks you to find and cite the original when you can; use a secondary citation only when the original is unavailable, out of print or in a language you cannot read.

Editorial sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a secondary source in Harvard?: To cite a secondary source 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 secondary source citation?: The Harvard format for a secondary source is: In text: (Original Author, Year, quoted in or cited in Secondary Author, Year, p. #). Reference list: the secondary source only.
What does the in-text citation look like for a secondary source in Harvard?: In Harvard, the in-text citation for the example above is (Zukofsky, 1931, quoted in Costello, 1981, p. 78)