Website Citation Formats: A Guide for Proper Referencing
Introduction
In today's digital age, information is readily available at our fingertips. With just a few clicks, we can access a vast amount of information on the worldwide web. However, this easy access to information also brings along the responsibility of proper referencing. As students, academics, and researchers, it is essential to give credit to the sources we use in our work. In this article, we will discuss the different formats for citing websites and provide examples of how to reference web pages, online articles, and online books.
Citing Websites
Citing a website can be tricky as web pages and content are continually evolving. Therefore, it is vital to identify the necessary information required for a citation. The basic information needed for a website citation is the author, the date of publication, the title of the webpage, the name of the website or organization, and the URL. The general format of a website citation is as follows:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Title of webpage. Name of Website. URL
Let's look at an example. Suppose we want to cite a page on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website that provides information on COVID-19 vaccines. The citation would look like this:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, August 26). COVID-19 Vaccines: Get the Facts. cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html
Citing Online Articles
Citing online articles follows a similar structure as citing print articles. The basic information required for an online article citation includes the author's name, the date of publication, the article's title, the name of the publication or website, and the URL. It is essential to use the most up-to-date URL in the citation as web pages may change over time. The general format of an online article citation is as follows:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Title of article. Name of Publication. URL
For example, let's say we want to cite an online article from The New York Times titled \"Biden Will Require Vaccines for Federal Workers and Contractors.\" The citation would look like this:
Erlanger, S., & Shear, M. D. (2021, September 9). Biden Will Require Vaccines for Federal Workers and Contractors. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/09/us/politics/biden-covid-vaccine.html
Citing Online Books
Citing online books follows a structure similar to print books, but with some added information. In addition to the author's name, the publication date, the title of the book, the publisher, and the edition, an online book citation must also include the date it was accessed, the format of the book (e.g., Kindle, PDF), and the URL. The general format of an online book citation is as follows:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book: Subtitle of book (edition if applicable). Publisher. URL
For example, suppose we want to cite an online book titled \"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks\" by Rebecca Skloot. The citation would look like this:
Skloot, R. (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Crown Publishing Group. Amazon Kindle Edition. https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Life-Henrietta-Lacks-ebook/dp/B00338QENI
Conclusion
Proper referencing and citing sources are crucial in any academic or research work. Websites, online articles, and books are valuable sources of information. However, it is essential to follow a consistent and accurate referencing format to credit the sources correctly. Hopefully, this article provided you with the necessary knowledge and examples to reference websites, online articles, and online books correctly.
