How to Document a Web Page in MLA
Referencing works used in a written essay or other formal document used be simple; it was either a book, article or periodical. Now, with the popularity of Web sites as resources, the question comes up: how do you cite an online source and still keep within Modern Language Association (MLA) parameters? MLA, the most common documentation style used by universities, colleges and secondary schools, has updated its manual to document a Web page following specific guidelines.
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Instructions
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Start with the author's name, if the Web article you are citing has one, listing his or her last name, then first name. End with a period. If the article doesn't have an author, begin with step 2.
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Write the name of the article or page in quotations. Include a period.
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Write the Web site name in italics. This is not the same as the full URL, which begins with "www."
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Write the name of the organization, which may or may not be the same as the Web site name. For instance, Cornell University Library is the Web site name, whereas the organization name is simply Cornell University. On the other hand, eHow is both the Web site name and the organization name. Add a comma and then the Web site's date (which is sometimes preceded by the word "updated" on the site).
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Write the publication medium, which is, in this case, the Web.
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Write the date that you accessed the information. MLA format is date, month, year, without commas or a period at the end.
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Write the URL in between angled brackets, followed by a period.
Your final MLA citation should look like this:
"Introduction to Research." Cornell University Library. Cornell University, 2009. Web. 19 June 2009 <http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/intro>.
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