How to Write a Harvard Referencing for Economics

Economics writing demands precision when citing complex datasets, policy briefs, and econometric models. Harvard referencing in this field ensures that empirical evidence from institutions like the IMF or the World Bank is accurately attributed, maintaining the integrity of your quantitative analysis.

What Is a Harvard Referencing in Economics?

In economics, Harvard referencing is an author-date system used to credit the origins of economic theories, statistical data, and peer-reviewed research. Unlike humanities disciplines, economics often requires citing non-traditional sources like central bank working papers, government white papers, and raw longitudinal datasets alongside standard academic journals.

Before You Start

• Identify the primary author or the institutional body (e.g., OECD) responsible for the economic data.
• Locate the specific series or working paper number for institutional publications.
• Distinguish between a primary dataset and a secondary analysis of that data.
• Verify the official title of the journal or publication, avoiding shorthand like 'JEP' for the Journal of Economic Perspectives.
• Check if the document is a draft (Mimeo) or a final published version in a peer-reviewed journal.

Citing a Standard Economics Journal Article

The core of your literature review will likely consist of peer-reviewed articles. List the author's surname, initials, title of the article, and the full journal name in italics.

Example: Mankiw, N.G., Romer, D. and Weil, D.N. A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth. The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Tip: Always include the volume and issue number to help readers locate specific econometric proofs.

Referencing Institutional Reports and Policy Briefs

Economics frequently relies on reports from organizations. When no individual author is listed, use the organization as the corporate author.

Example: International Monetary Fund. World Economic Outlook: Recovery During a Pandemic. Washington, DC: IMF.

Tip: Use the full name of the organization in the first instance rather than the acronym.

Citing Economic Datasets

When your methodology section relies on secondary data, you must cite the database or the specific survey used.

Example: World Bank. World Development Indicators. [Online]. Available at: https://databank.worldbank.org/.

Tip: Include the 'Accessed' date for online databases as economic data is frequently revised or updated.

Referencing Working Papers and Discussion Papers

In economics, significant research often circulates as working papers before formal publication. You must include the paper series number.

Example: Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J.A. The Rise and Decline of General Laws of Capitalism. NBER Working Paper No. 20674.

Tip: Check if a working paper has since been published in a journal and cite the most recent version.

Formatting In-Text Citations for Multiple Authors

When discussing theories like the Heckscher-Ohlin model involving multiple researchers, use 'et al.' for three or more authors in the text.

Example: The role of human capital in growth is heavily debated (Mankiw et al.).

Tip: In your final reference list at the end, ensure you list all authors rather than using 'et al.'

Citing Government Legislation or Budgets

Macroeconomic papers often reference specific fiscal policies or legislative acts. Cite these by the country and the specific act name.

Example: United Kingdom. Finance Act. London: The Stationery Office.

Tip: Treat the government department as the author if the document is a specific policy proposal.

Referencing Edited Book Chapters

When citing a specific theory from a collection of essays (like those in 'The Handbook of Monetary Economics'), cite the chapter author first.

Example: Friedman, B.M. Targets and Instruments of Monetary Policy. In: Friedman, B.M. and Hahn, F.H. (eds.) Handbook of Monetary Economics. Amsterdam: North-Holland.

Tip: Ensure the page range for the specific chapter is included at the end of the reference.

Citing Newspaper Articles for Market Analysis

For real-time market reactions or financial news, newspaper citations are common. Include the journalist's name and the specific newspaper title.

Example: Wolf, M. The global economy is still in a precarious state. Financial Times.

Tip: Use newspaper sources sparingly, prioritizing peer-reviewed analysis for theoretical claims.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing the publication date of a textbook with the original date of an economic theory (e.g., citing Smith's Wealth of Nations with a modern reprint date).
• Failing to provide the URL and access date for live data dashboards like FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data).
• Using acronyms (WTO, ECB) in the reference list instead of the full institutional name.
• Omitting the working paper series number, which is vital for tracking pre-print economic research.
• Inconsistent capitalization of journal titles like the Journal of Political Economy.

Pro Tips

• Use a reference manager to track the DOI of every economics journal article for easy retrieval.
• Always verify if a paper is part of a 'Special Issue' as this often requires additional notation in the reference.
• Keep a separate folder for data documentation (Codebooks) so you can cite the specific version of the survey used.
• When citing translated works (e.g., Thomas Piketty’s original French texts), note the translator in the reference.
• Cross-reference your in-text citations with your bibliography every time you remove a section of your analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite the IMF or World Bank in Harvard style?

Use the organization as the corporate author. For example: World Bank. (Title of Report). Washington, DC: World Bank. Include the URL and access date if viewed online.

Do I need to cite the software I used for econometric analysis?

Yes, if you used specific packages in R, Stata, or Python for your regression analysis, you should cite the software version and the author of the specific package.

Is the reference list different from a bibliography in economics?

In most economics departments, a reference list includes only the sources cited in the text, whereas a bibliography includes all background reading. Stick to a reference list unless told otherwise.

How do I cite a graph or table from an economic journal?

Cite the source of the data directly under the table in your paper as 'Source: Author (Year)' and include the full citation for that author in your reference list.

Related Resources

• How to Write a Harvard Referencing for Computer Science

• How to Write a Harvard Referencing for Biology

• How to Write a Harvard Referencing for Psychology

• How to Write a Sentence Rewriting for Economics

• How to Write Topic Sentences for Economics

• How to Write a Paragraph Structure for Economics

• Find Peer-Reviewed Sources with Sourcely

• Polish Your Writing with Revise AI