Harvard Format
Master the essential formatting rules for Harvard referencing style
Published: September 15, 2025
General Paper Format
Harvard format follows specific guidelines for document structure and presentation. These formatting rules ensure consistency and professional appearance in academic writing.
Key Format Requirements:
- • 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
- • Double-spaced throughout
- • 1-inch margins on all sides
- • Left-aligned text (not justified)
- • Page numbers in top right corner
Title Page
Harvard style typically requires a title page with specific elements centered on the page.
Essay Title
by
Student Name
Student ID
Course Name
Institution Name
Date
Headings and Subheadings
Harvard format uses a simple hierarchy for headings, typically bold and left-aligned.
Main Headings (Level 1)
Bold, title case, left-aligned
Subheadings (Level 2)
Bold, sentence case, left-aligned
Sub-subheadings (Level 3)
Italics, sentence case, left-aligned
Reference List Format
The reference list appears at the end of your document and lists all sources cited in your work.
Reference List Guidelines:
- • Start on a new page with "Reference List" as heading
- • Arrange entries alphabetically by author surname
- • Use hanging indent for each entry
- • Single-space within entries, double-space between
- • Include all sources cited in your text