Last Updated: 25 Jun, 2020     Views: 52

Citing something that someone else has cited is done in-text.  Only the source that you have read is put into the Reference list.  Here is the link to the Harvard Guide which includes an example.

If you are just paraphrasing the information, and you don't need to mention the original author, you can just cite the work you have in front of you without worrying about the original author.

However, if you actually want to cite the original author (because you are drawing attention to the fact that they said it, or because it's a direct quote), then you would use a secondary citation.

In text, you say:

Smith (1997, cited in Brown, 2009, p. 156) noted that ...
Or
It was noted that ... (Smith, 1997, cited in Brown, 2009, p. 156).

In the reference list you only mention Brown's work (because you only reference what you actually read).