How to Cite a Website in a Resource Paper

Online webpage resources are just as credible as print materials.

Resource papers entail thorough background investigation of the topic in order to truly have credence with the intended audience. The public or school library is a one-stop source for most of your resource needs, especially in print. However, some topics are so novel or rare that very little material is available on bookshelves. Increasingly, researchers must use the Internet for information-gathering in order to find any facts. Many reputable peer-reviewed publications in print also expedite access to material via a website. So that your audience can easily interpret and confirm your sources, you should use the American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) format to cite a webpage.

Instructions

Use APA Format

1. Type the name of the webpage's author(s). Type the last name first, followed by a comma. Then type the first and middle names and/or initials. Use the ampersand (&) sign, periods and commas to properly punctuate the name. Add a period at the end if it's not there by default, e.g., "Last, First, Middle, & Last, First, M.I."

2. Press the "space bar" key and type the date (or update) listed on the webpage. Enclose the date in parentheses, followed by a period, e.g., "(January 1, 2010)."

3. Press the "space bar" key and type the title of the webpage based on the content in the Web browser's title bar at the top. Leave off extraneous details such as the browser's brand name (Internet Explorer or Firefox), e.g., "University of Any State - Science Department." Use your word processor's formatting functions to italicize the title and place a period afterward.

4. Press the "space bar" and type the following line of text: "Retrieved from http://". Insert the webpage's address after the second forward slash, e.g., "www.fakeexample.com."

Use MLA Format

1. Type the webpage's author or editor, if available, starting with the last name, then the first and middle names. Use the ampersand (&) sign, periods and commas to properly punctuate the name, and add a period at the end if one is not there by default, e.g., "Last, First, Middle, & Last, First, M.I."

2. Type the webpage's (or article's) title from the title bar of the Web browser. Use capitalization and enclose the title in quotations, including any applicable punctuation, e.g., "What is the Preferred Format for Citing Web Pages?"

3. Press the "space bar" and type the name of the website in upper- and lowercase letters in italics and end with a period, e.g., "eHow.com."

4. Press the "space bar" and type the version number, if available, and end with a period.

5. Press the "space bar" and type publisher information, which includes an institution or organization. Type a comma and then type the date of webpage creation, if available, and end with a period.

6. Press the "space bar" and type medium of the webpage, e.g., "Web" and add an ending period.

7. Press the "space bar" and type the date of webpage access or reference, and add a period.

Tips & Warnings

• Scroll to the bottom of the webpage to glean details such as the author and date.

• Defer to your instructor's directions first for any deviations from conventional formats.

References

• Purdue University: OWL--Reference List: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)
• Purdue University: OWL--MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

Resources

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Web Basics Tutorial--Overview of Web Browser
• Purdue University: OWL--Research and Citation Resources