Social Media Posts in Harvard Style (Detailed Guide)

When citing social media, you need to capture the author (person or organisation), their username, the date, the content of the post, the platform it was on, and a direct link. A common convention is to write the full text of the post in italics, treating it as the title of the work. However, as with all Harvard style rules, it's good to check your institution's specific guide, as some may prefer no italics.

1. X Post (formerly Twitter)

Reference List Format Breakdown:

Author's Name or Organisation Name (@Username) (Year) Full text of the post in italics [X], Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Reference List Example: ISRO (@isro) (2025) The PSLV-C60 mission is confirmed for a 09:00 IST launch on January 18 from Sriharikota. The mission will carry the RESOURCESAT-3 satellite. [X], 15 January. Available at: https://x.com/isro/status/example12345 (Accessed: 9 June 2025).

In-Text Citation Examples:

  • Parenthetical: The mission was confirmed to carry the RESOURCESAT-3 satellite (ISRO 2025).
  • Narrative: ISRO (2025) confirmed that the mission would carry the RESOURCESAT-3 satellite.

2. Instagram Post (Photo, Video, or Reel)

The format is similar to an X post, but the italicised section should be the caption of the post. If there is no caption, you should create a brief description of the visual content.

Reference List Format: Author's Name (@Username) (Year) Caption of the post in italics. [Instagram], Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Reference List Example: Kohli, V. (@virat.kohli) (2025) A great training session with the team today. Feeling focused and ready for the next match. [Instagram], 4 June. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/example5678/ (Accessed: 9 June 2025).

In-Text Citation Examples:

  • Parenthetical: The athlete shared his positive outlook ahead of the upcoming match (Kohli 2025).
  • Narrative: Kohli (2025) shared his positive outlook ahead of the upcoming match.

3. Facebook Post

For longer Facebook posts, you can use the first full sentence or a significant portion of the text in italics.

Reference List Format: Page Name or Author (Year) Beginning of the post's text in italics... [Facebook], Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Reference List Example: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2025) This week, we are celebrating the vibrant culture of Kerala. Known as 'God's Own Country', the state's backwaters, art forms, and cuisine are a traveller's delight... [Facebook], 8 June. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/incredibleindia/posts/example91011 (Accessed: 9 June 2025).

In-Text Citation Examples:

  • Parenthetical: A recent campaign celebrated the culture of Kerala (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India 2025).
  • Narrative: The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2025) launched a campaign celebrating the culture of Kerala.

4. Special Considerations for Social Media

Ephemeral Content (e.g., Instagram Stories, Snapchat): Content that is designed to disappear after a short time (like an Instagram Story) is not suitable for a reference list because it is not retrievable by the reader. If you need to refer to ephemeral content, you should describe it fully within the main body of your text.

Example in text: In an Instagram story posted on the morning of 9 June 2025, the author shared a short video poll asking followers for their opinions on the new policy...

No in-text citation or reference list entry would be created for this.

Username vs. Real Name: If the author's real name is known and publicly associated with the account, it is good practice to include it before the username. If the real name is not known, or if the account is better known by its username, you can use the username alone.