How to reference lecture slides in Harvard
A reference for lecture slides in Harvard has 7 parts. See them labelled on an example, then build your own and copy it.
- In your essay: (Author, year)
- Checked 23 October 2026
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The 7 parts
Lecturer (Year) ‘Title’ [Format]. Module. Available at: Web address (Accessed: date accessed).
2 · DATE(2025)3 · TITLE‘Week 4: Memory and learning’4 · FORMAT[Lecture slides]. 5 · MODULEPSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: 6 · WEB ADDRESShttps://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 7 · ACCESSED14 October 2026).
- 2 · DateThe year. In round brackets.The date of the lecture, or when the slides were posted.
- 3 · TitleIn single quotation marks.The title on the first slide.
- 4 · FormatIn square brackets.What they are, like lecture slides or a PowerPoint presentation.
- 5 · ModuleIn italics.The module code and title, from your learning platform.
- 6 · Web addressThe full web address. After “Available at:”.The slides’ address on your learning platform.
- 7 · AccessedThe day you looked at it, written like this: 14 October 2026. After “Accessed:”. All in round brackets.The day you looked at them.
Two places, one source
Testing yourself helps you remember (Morgan, 2025).
The author and the year, in brackets.Morgan, C. (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
The full reference, in A to Z order by surname.Build your reference
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What if…
Made by an organisation
Give the organisation’s name where the author goes.
Riverside Media Bureau (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
In your essay: (Riverside Media Bureau, 2025)
No date
Write “no date” where the date goes.
Morgan, C. (no date) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
In your essay: (Morgan, no date)
Two authors
Give both names, joined with “and”.
Green, A. and Patel, R. (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
In your essay: (Green and Patel, 2025)
Four or more authors
Give the first author, then “et al.”, which means “and others”. In your essay, give the first author and “et al.”.
Green, A. et al. (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
In your essay: (Green et al., 2025)
Easy to get wrong
A web address in your essay
NOT QUITETesting yourself helps you remember (vle.example.ac.uk).
RIGHTTesting yourself helps you remember (Morgan, 2025).
Leaving out the date you looked at it
NOT QUITEMorgan, C. (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4.
RIGHTMorgan, C. (2025) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
Check your university’s version
Harvard isn’t one fixed style. Universities change small things, like brackets, full stops and “Accessed” or “Viewed”. This guide follows Cite Them Right. Your module handbook always wins.
This guide follows Cite Them Right (13th edition, 2025), the Harvard many UK universities teach.
Questions
How do I cite lecture slides in the text?
Give the author and the year, in brackets: (Morgan, 2025)
What if there’s no date?
Check the page or document again first. If there really is none, here’s how Harvard sets it out: Morgan, C. (no date) ‘Week 4: Memory and learning’ [Lecture slides]. PSY104: Introduction to Psychology. Available at: https://vle.example.ac.uk/psy104/week-4 (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
Is Harvard the same at every university?
Harvard isn’t one fixed style. Universities change small things, like brackets, full stops and “Accessed” or “Viewed”. This guide follows Cite Them Right. Your module handbook always wins.
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