Harvard Regulation Citation Generator
Citing a regulation (administrative agency rule or executive order) under the Harvard Referencing (Cite Them Right 12th Edition) framework requires combining Harvard's punctuation hierarchy with the specific metadata of the source. To construct a compliant entry, researchers must collect the regulation title or subject, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register volume, agency abbreviation, section/page number, and year of codification. In the body of your paper, Harvard utilizes author-date parentheticals formatted as (Surname, Year, p. X) or (Surname et al., Year) for four or more authors, which links directly to an entry organized in alphabetical by author surname and chronological by year, appending lowercase letters (2024a, 2024b) for same-year works.
When formatting a regulation in Harvard, pay close attention to contributor names and capitalization. Specifically, Harvard enforces surname followed by comma and initials with periods, using "and" (never an ampersand) before the final author, and applies sentence case enclosed in single quotation marks for article/chapter titles, and italicized Title Case for books and journals. Cite Them Right Harvard requires explicit "Available at:" and "(Accessed: DD Month YYYY)" clauses for web resources and uses single quotes for analytical titles. Furthermore, if your regulation does not display an individual creator, the rule is straightforward: begin with the regulation title or CFR citation; credit the issuing government agency in the authority or publisher slot if required by your style.
For digital and online regulation references, Harvard stipulates writing "Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year)" at the conclusion of any online reference. Note whether the regulation is already codified in the C.F.R. or is still a proposed/uncodified rule published in the Federal Register. Using the client-side Harvard Regulation generator below, you can automatically parse URLs, DOIs, or ISBNs and apply these exact Citation Style Language (CSL) rules locally in your browser with zero server tracking.
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Critical Errors to Avoid
- Source-Specific Pitfall: Citing an agency press release about a rule instead of the official codified regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register (Fed. Reg.).
- Title & Author Formatting: Failing to apply Harvard's requirement of sentence case enclosed in single quotation marks for article/chapter titles, and italicized Title Case for books and journals, or violating the contributor rule (surname followed by comma and initials with periods, using "and" (never an ampersand) before the final author).
- Locator & Sorting Mismatch: Ordering the bibliography incorrectly instead of using alphabetical by author surname and chronological by year, appending lowercase letters (2024a, 2024b) for same-year works, or neglecting Harvard's link rule for a regulation (writing "Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year)" at the conclusion of any online reference).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What information do I need to cite a regulation in Harvard?
To cite a regulation according to Harvard Referencing (Cite Them Right 12th Edition) standards, you need the regulation title or subject, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register volume, agency abbreviation, section/page number, and year of codification. Our generator formats these elements using sentence case enclosed in single quotation marks for article/chapter titles, and italicized Title Case for books and journals.
How do I cite a regulation with no author in Harvard?
When a regulation has no named individual author, begin with the regulation title or CFR citation; credit the issuing government agency in the authority or publisher slot if required by your style. The Harvard engine automatically adjusts both the full reference entry and the in-text citation (author-date parentheticals formatted as (Surname, Year, p. X) or (Surname et al., Year) for four or more authors) when the author field is left blank.
How are in-text citations formatted for a regulation in Harvard?
In Harvard, in-text references use author-date parentheticals formatted as (Surname, Year, p. X) or (Surname et al., Year) for four or more authors. In the final reference list, your regulation entries must be arranged in alphabetical by author surname and chronological by year, appending lowercase letters (2024a, 2024b) for same-year works.
Do I need to include a URL or access date for an online regulation in Harvard?
Under Harvard Referencing (Cite Them Right 12th Edition) guidelines, online regulation citations follow writing "Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year)" at the conclusion of any online reference. Note whether the regulation is already codified in the C.F.R. or is still a proposed/uncodified rule published in the Federal Register.