How to cite a website for everyone? These days, thanks to the internet, people can find out almost everything they want to know. Everyone, from students to researchers to working professionals, has utilized the internet as their go-to source for information at some time. It’s easy to overlook the significance of mentioning websites when there’s so much data at your fingertips. It builds confidence, acknowledges the source, and prevents plagiarism. In this piece, NewsDaily Tech’ll discuss why it’s crucial to reference online resources correctly and offer some pointers on how to do so.
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The Basics of Citing Websites in MLA Style
How to cite a website with MLA style? Accurate citation is essential in academic writing to both prevent plagiarism and properly attribute research findings. Literature, language, and culture scholars utilize the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) citation style often. Academic writing increasingly cites websites.
In-Text Citations
In-text citations used to credit the original source of a quote or piece of information in MLA format. At the conclusion of the sentence where the information utilized, provide the author’s last name and the page number(s) of the source in parentheses. I’ll give you an example: (Smith 23). When referencing a website, only the author’s name and the date of publishing required, not the page number. (Smith, 2017) If no publishing date given, write “n.d.” to indicate that no specific date can determined.
Works Cited List
A works referenced page should included at the conclusion of the paper to give credit to all sources utilized. The bibliography should organized alphabetically by the authors’ surnames. MLA website citations should look like this:
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website, Name of publisher, Date of publication, URL.
Some Examples:
- A webpage with an author:
Smith, John. “The Impact of Technology on Education.” The Future of Learning, Harvard University, 1 Dec. 2016, https://futureoflearning.harvard.edu/impact-of-technology-on-education/
- A webpage with no author:
“How to cite a website.” MLA Formatting and Style Guide, The Purdue OWL, n.d., https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Leaving out the publication date: as mentioned before, if the date of publication is unavailable, “n.d.” should used instead.
Badly formatted web addresses: Make sure there are no additional spaces or characters in the URLs, and that they begin with “https://” or “http.”
Omitting the last accessed date: Since websites evolve with time, it’s important to note when you accessed them.
Citing Websites in APA Style
How to cite a website in APA style? In the social sciences, especially in psychology, sociology, and related fields, the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style commonly employed. Websites, as an example of an online resource, increasingly needed to be cited in academic writing.
In-Text Citations
APA-formatted publications credit sources using in-text citations. The author’s last name and publication year should be included in a parenthetical reference. Example: Smith(2017). Reference a webpage by date rather than page number.
References List
A reference list at the end of a document shows that all sources consulted. Author surnames should alphabetize the sources list. In APA format, a website reference looks like this:
“Author’s last name, first initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of Webpage. Retrieved from URL”
Some Examples:
- A webpage with an author:
Smith, J. (2016, December 1). The Impact of Technology on Education. Retrieved from https://futureoflearning.harvard.edu/impact-of-technology-on-education/
- A webpage with no author:
How to cite a website. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Using “n.d.” in place of the publishing date, as was indicated above, acceptable practice when no publication date is provided.
Badly formatted web addresses: Make sure there are no additional spaces or characters in the URLs, and that they begin with “https://” or “http.”
Omitting the last accessed date: Since websites evolve with time, it’s important to note when you accessed them.
Chicago Style Website Citations
In the humanities and social sciences, the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) provides a standard for referencing sources. Websites, as one kind of internet resource, are becoming more required in scholarly works.
Notes and Bibliography (NB) system
The Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is the most popular for History and the Humanities out of Chicago Style’s two documentation systems (the other being Author-Date).
NB-formatted documents end with a bibliography and notes. In the Chicago Manual of Style, in-text citations for websites look like this:
- Note:
Author’s name, “Title of Webpage,” Name of Website, date of access, URL.
- Bibliography:
Author’s name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website, date of access, URL.
Author-Date system
Both the scientific and social sciences make extensive use of the author-date citation format. It uses a parenthetical author-date citation system and a reference list at the end of the document. The format for citing a website in Chicago style Author-Date system is as follows:
- Reference List:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website, URL.
Some Examples:
A webpage with an author using Notes and Bibliography system:
John Smith, “The Impact of Technology on Education,” The Future of Learning, accessed December 1, 2016, https://futureoflearning.harvard.edu/impact-of-technology-on-education/
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Leaving out the date of access: Since websites evolve with time, it’s crucial to note the exact date of access.
Badly formatted web addresses: Make sure there are no additional spaces or characters in the URLs, and that they begin with “https://” or “http.”
Accidentally omitted the bibliography: A bibliography is necessary for both the NB and Author-date formats.
Conclusion
You will be able to correctly reference websites in your work if you take the time to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. Please remember that these are simply examples, and that before submitting your own work, you should always check the most up-to-date version of the citation style guide.
Keep in mind that the correct procedure may differ slightly based on the specifics of the situation and the area of study involved; consult your professor or advisor whenever in doubt. If you know how to correctly credit information found on the web, you may relax and concentrate on the meat of your research and writing.
