In this blog post, we will be looking at how to reference a DVD or video, for example, a film, using the Harvard referencing system. These can be great sources for your work, so being able to reference them is a must. We will start by looking at why referencing is so important, then move on to study the correct format for a video in the reference list of your work. We will also consider how to reference them in the main text of what you are writing. Finally, we will look at how to evaluate a source before you include it in your reference list.
So, why do you need to reference your work? There are two main reasons. Firstly, it means that you are acknowledging the creators of the sources you are using, which is necessary for your work to be ethical. Likewise, you have the right to expect that no-one will use your work without crediting you. If you don’t reference your work correctly, you may have to redo the relevant parts or the whole assignment. In the worst cases, or for repeated infractions, you might be asked to leave your course.
Secondly, good referencing helps your readers. If you are using a source to back up a point you are making or to provide background information, it often helps the reader if they can view the whole source to look at your work in context. If you have referenced fully and correctly, it should be easy for them to find the source you are referring to. Furthermore, good referencing makes your work look professional. If readers can check the statements you are making against the original sources, they can decide for themselves how reliable your writing is.
The basic format to reference a video using the Harvard system is:
Title of video. Year. [type of medium] Director. Country: Film studio or maker. (Other details).
For example:
A journey through Africa. 2014. [DVD] Directed by Leo Maxwell. Scotland: Maleo Media.
We will now look at each part of the reference in turn.
Title of video
Write the name of the video in full, in italics. This helps your reader to find it and ensure that they have the right one to view in the context of your work. Remove all capitalisation except for on the first word and any proper nouns. As you can see in the example above, “A Journey Through Africa” becomes “A journey through Africa“.
Year
This should be the year that the video was first released, with a full stop after it. Make sure you write it as four digits, i.e. 2014 not just 14.
Type of medium
Include the medium in which the video has been published. This is written inside square brackets and does not need any capitalisation, for example, [film]. However, [DVD] retains its capitalisation.
Director
If relevant, include details of the director(s) of the video. Write this as “Directed by”, followed by the full name(s) of the director(s), then a full stop.
Country
Simply write the country that the video originated from. Make sure you have a country, not just a region or town.
Film Studio or Maker
Include the name of the studio or maker exactly as it is written in their own material.
Other Details
If you know anything else relevant about the film, include this at the end of the reference, inside brackets. The most common example is a film with a narrator, which is written as “Narrated by”, followed by the narrator’s name.
In-Text Citation
There are two ways of citing a video in the text of your work. Firstly, you can make a direct reference, where you mention the name of the video in the text, then follow this with the year in brackets. For example:
This can be seen in A journey through Africa (2014).
Alternatively, you can just reference the video indirectly by placing both the title and the year in brackets. For example:
(A journey through Africa, 2014)
Evaluating Sources
Before you include any type of source in your work, you will want to assess it for accuracy. There are a few different points to consider here, starting with how recently the source was created. Unless you are using the source for historical context, it will be more reliable if it is from recent years, as new discoveries and decisions can be made that update the information in the source. Also, consider how accurate the source is. Is there anything that you know is wrong? If so, there are likely to be other inaccuracies.
If you know anything about the director or even the film studio, ask yourself how reliable they are. Do they have a history of making purely informative videos, or do they try to persuade the watcher to believe a particular viewpoint? Similarly, ask why the video was created. Does it seem to be neutral and use facts and sources to back up its statements? This makes a source more reliable, as it is not seeking to influence you.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you to reference videos, as they are often a really useful addition to your work. In my next blog post, we will be looking at how to reference TV programmes, so come back in two weeks for that!
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