APA vs Harvard: when to use which

APA and Harvard are both author–date systems. They look similar from a distance and conflict up close — especially around commas, ampersands, page markers, and title capitalisation.

How to choose

• Follow the assignment brief or module handbook first.
• If the journal or conference specifies APA 7th, use APA — not a Harvard variant.
• If your faculty says “Harvard”, ask which Harvard guide (department PDF) to follow.
• Never combine rules from two guides in one paper.

Typical differences (illustrative)

• APA often uses & in parenthetical citations for two authors; many Harvard guides prefer “and”.
• APA uses p./pp. for pages; some Harvard guides use a colon before the page number.
• APA reference lists use a hanging indent and specific italic rules for journal names and volumes.
• Harvard layouts vary widely by institution — treat screenshots from the internet as unreliable.

APA-like: (Rivera & Chen, 2022, p. 41)
Harvard-like: (Rivera and Chen 2022: 41)
Do not mix these in one document.

• Required style named in the brief
• One handbook open while editing references
• In-text and list rules taken from the same guide