When a source has no identifiable publication date, Harvard referencing replaces the year with n.d. — an abbreviation of the Latin no date. The abbreviation appears in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry, in the same position the year would normally occupy. Before defaulting to "n.d.," always check the source thoroughly — dates are often hidden in footers, metadata, or "last updated" notices.
When Does "No Date" Apply?
A source qualifies as "no date" when you cannot determine when it was published, last updated, or produced. This is most common with:
- Web pages that lack a publication or "last updated" date
- Organisational documents circulated without a date
- Older printed material where the publication year has been lost or omitted
- Undated images, pamphlets, or ephemera
In practice, most published books, journal articles, and reports include a date. "No date" is most frequently encountered with web content.
Finding Hidden Dates
Before using "n.d.," exhaust these options:
- Check the byline or header. Many articles include a date near the author's name.
- Look at the footer. Copyright notices often include a year (e.g., "© 2023").
- Inspect the URL. Some URLs contain date fragments:
example.com/2023/05/article-title. - View the page source or metadata. Right-click the page, select "View Page Source," and search for
datePublished,dateModified, orog:updated_time. - Check the Wayback Machine. The Internet Archive (web.archive.org) records when a page was first captured — this gives you at least an approximate date.
- Look at the PDF properties. For undated PDFs, the "Created" or "Modified" date in the file properties may indicate when the document was produced.
If you find a date through any of these methods, use it as the publication year — you no longer need "n.d."
In-Text Citation Format
Replace the year with n.d. in the standard author-date position:
Parenthetical:
(Pemberton, n.d.)
Narrative:
Pemberton (n.d.) argues that…
With a Page Number
(Pemberton, n.d., p. 12)
With a Corporate Author
(National Health Service, n.d.)
Multiple No-Date Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one undated work by the same author, add letter suffixes to distinguish them — just as you would for multiple works in the same year:
(Pemberton, n.d.-a)
(Pemberton, n.d.-b)
Assign the suffixes alphabetically based on the title of each work. The first title alphabetically gets "a," the next gets "b," and so on.
Reference List Format
The reference list entry follows the standard Harvard structure, with n.d. replacing the year:
General pattern:
Author (n.d.) Title. Place: Publisher.
Web Page
Pemberton, R. (n.d.) Effective study strategies for mature students. Available at: https://www.example.com/study-strategies (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
Book or Report
Harrison, T. (n.d.) Community health assessment: a practical guide. Bristol: Community Health Press.
Corporate Author
National Health Service (n.d.) Mental health support for young people. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/young-people (Accessed: 22 March 2025).
Estimating Approximate Dates
Some Harvard guides allow you to estimate an approximate date using [ca. Year] (from the Latin circa, meaning "around"):
(Pemberton, [ca. 2020])
Reference list:
Pemberton, R. ([ca. 2020]) Effective study strategies for mature students. Available at: https://www.example.com/study-strategies (Accessed: 14 January 2025).
Use this only when you have strong evidence for the approximate date — for example, a Wayback Machine capture from 2020 or contextual clues in the content. Many institutions prefer n.d. unless the date can be confirmed, so check your guide before using the circa convention.
No Date + No Author
When a source has neither an author nor a date, combine both rules: the title replaces the author, and n.d. replaces the year.
In-text citation:
('Student support services', n.d.)
For standalone works (books, reports, whole websites), italicise the title:
(Community engagement toolkit, n.d.)
Reference list:
'Student support services' (n.d.) University of Bristol. Available at: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support (Accessed: 5 April 2025).
For detailed guidance on no-author citations, see How to Cite a Source With No Author in Harvard.
When to Include an Access Date
An access date is always recommended for online sources in Harvard referencing, but it is especially important when the publication date is missing. The access date tells your reader when the content was available — if the page changes or disappears, the access date provides a reference point.
Format:
Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example:
(Accessed: 14 January 2025)
Examples by Source Type
Web Page — No Date
Williams, K. (n.d.) Academic writing: a guide for beginners. Available at: https://www.example.com/academic-writing (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
(Williams, n.d.)
Government Web Page — No Date
Department for Education (n.d.) School admissions criteria. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/school-admissions (Accessed: 3 March 2025).
(Department for Education, n.d.)
Organisational Report — No Date
Amnesty International (n.d.) Freedom of expression: global trends and challenges. London: Amnesty International.
(Amnesty International, n.d.)
Image or Infographic — No Date
Public Health England (n.d.) Sugar content in common breakfast cereals [Infographic]. Available at: https://www.example.com/sugar-infographic (Accessed: 18 April 2025).
(Public Health England, n.d.)
Wiki Article — No Date
'Climate change mitigation' (n.d.) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_mitigation (Accessed: 22 March 2025).
('Climate change mitigation', n.d.)
Common Mistakes With No-Date Citations
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Using "no date" or "N.D." instead of "n.d." | Harvard uses the lowercase abbreviation | Always write n.d. in lowercase |
| Leaving the year blank | An empty space is ambiguous — did you forget the date or is there no date? | Use n.d. explicitly |
| Using a copyright year as the publication year | A copyright notice may not correspond to the content's publication date | Only use it if no other date is available and note the limitation |
| Omitting the access date for online sources | Without a publication date, the access date is the reader's only temporal reference | Always include (Accessed: Day Month Year) |
| Not checking for hidden dates | Many "no date" sources actually have dates in their metadata or URL | Inspect footers, metadata, URLs, and the Wayback Machine before defaulting to n.d. |
| Confusing n.d. with n.p. | "n.d." means no date; "n.p." means no place or no publisher — they are different | Use n.d. for missing dates only |
What's Next?
Now that you know how to handle missing dates, explore these related guides:
- How to Cite a Source With No Author in Harvard — handling sources with no identifiable author
- How to Reference a Website in Harvard Style — access dates, corporate authors, and URL formatting
- Harvard In-Text Citations — the complete guide to all in-text citation formats
