How to Cite an eBook in Harvard
Updated August 2026
Citing an ebook in Harvard comes down to one template and a handful of rules. Below: the exact author–date format, a real example produced by our citation engine, and the in-text form — or paste your source into the generator and copy the finished citation.
The Harvard format
Author, A.A. (Year) Title of book. Edition edn. Publisher.
Harvard (author–date) formats a eBook reference as shown above. A real example, generated by our citation engine:
Dweck, C. S. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
In-text(Dweck, 2006)
Finding the pieces
Or skip the hunt: Paste the eBook's ISBN into the generator's ISBN tab (eBooks have their own ISBNs), and every field is filled from the source's own record — then select Harvard on the result.
- The copyright screen — eBooks reproduce the copyright page with year, publisher, and ISBN
- Store listing — publisher and date in the product details
- Edition — eBook editions can differ from print; cite the one you read
- A DOI or stable URL — academic eBooks from library platforms often have one
Harvard's formatting rules at work
- All authors inverted with initials, joined by 'and' (no ampersand)
- Article titles take 'single quotation marks'; containers are italicized
- Web sources end with Available at: URL (Accessed: date) — the access date is required
- No single official manual exists — check your university's variant for local tweaks
EBook-specific pitfalls
- Modern styles cite eBooks like print books — no [Kindle version] labels in APA 7 or MLA 9
- Avoid device-specific 'locations' as quote locators; use chapters or section names when pages don't exist
- Academic eBooks from databases add the DOI or platform URL at the end
In-text citations in Harvard
Harvard cites in the text with author and year, comma included: (Alvarez, 2024), adding a page for quotes: (Alvarez, 2024, p. 12). Three or more authors use et al.: (Harris et al., 2020). Named in your sentence, only the year is parenthesized: Alvarez (2024) argues…
No author? Use the title in italics or quotes as appropriate. No date? Harvard writes (no date), not n.d.
Building the Reference List
Every in-text citation pairs with a full entry on the Reference List page, alphabetized by author. Add each citation to your bibliography as you generate it, and the Bibliography Builder assembles and exports the finished page to Word with the title, ordering, and indentation Harvard requires.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- What's the basic Harvard format for an ebook?
- Author, A.A. (Year) Title of book. Edition edn. Publisher. — see the worked example above, generated by the same engine that powers the free citation tool.
- How do I cite a quote without page numbers?
- Use the chapter and paragraph: (Dweck, 2006, ch. 2, para. 14) in APA, or the chapter alone in MLA: (Dweck, ch. 2). Never use Kindle location numbers unless your instructor approves.
- How do I cite an ebook in Harvard in-text?
- Author and year: (Alvarez, 2024), adding a page or paragraph locator for direct quotes.
- Can I get this citation in other styles too?
- Yes — every result in the generator renders APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE simultaneously. Generate once, switch styles with one click.