Citing Internet Sources

Make sure your citations are correct!

In the same way that many style guides exist for citing printed information sources (APA,MLA,Chicago Style, etc.) many style guides have cropped up with suggestions on how to cite electronic and internet sources. Variations abound, but basically, the major components of a citation remain the same: author (if known), title, publisher, date.

When citing a Web page, the author of the document is listed first (if an author is given) and the title of the page should be easily identified. Instead of publication information, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is given. The date created should be the date on the web page. The date you visited the page is given in parentheses at the end of the citation.
Example:

The above example illustrates the basic citation components. Whether you use italics, underline, or parenthesis, will depend on the style guide you follow. Below is a selective list of documents from the World Wide Web which deals with citations for electronic sources. Consult the individual sites for more comprehensive descriptions and examples.

• Online! Citation Styles
  A hypertext guide to citing electronic sources and online materials, complete with examples.
  
  
• Electronic reference formats recommended by
  the American Psychological Association
  This is the APA's recommendations for citing entire Web sites, e-mail communication, and articles and abstracts from electronic databases.
  
  
• Documenting Sources from the Web
  From the MLA web site, these guidelines are “the only ones available on the Internet that are authorized by Modern Language Association of America.” Click on the link to MLA Style, then go to the Frequently Asked Questions about the MLA Style.
  
  
• Columbia Guide to Online Style
  This guide includes both Humanities style (MLA, Chicago) and scientific style (APA, CBE).
  
  
• Citing Electronic Sources
  Compiled by the Library of Congress, this site has suggestions for citing digitized materials found on the Web such as maps, photographs, recorded sound, etc.
  
  
• EndNote & WriteNote
  EndNote is a software program available to CSUCI faculty and staff that allows for the easy maintenance and storage of bibliographic citations, web resources and images.
  
  WriteNote is a web-based application that easily allows students to collect, maintain and store bibliographic citations and websites