Creating Website Reference: A Guide To Properly Cite Websites

Citing a website or web page correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to sources. The style of citation depends on the style guide being used, with APA, MLA, and Chicago being the most common. A basic APA citation usually includes the author, publication date, title of the page or article, website name, and URL. However, there are slight variations depending on the source material, such as online news articles, social media posts, or websites with no clear author. It is also important to note that in-text citations differ from reference list entries and may require the use of paragraph or section numbers to indicate the location of the quoted or paraphrased information.

Citing a website in the text

The author of a website is often a group or agency rather than an individual. If there is no author, use the title of the page or website instead of the author in the in-text citation and reference list entry.

If there is no date of publication, use the letters 'n.d.' ('no date'). Do not use the copyright date as the publication date, as content may not have been changed since the copyright date. If multiple dates are provided, use the most recent date on which the content was changed.

If you are citing multiple pages from the same website, create a separate reference list entry for each page, with in-text citations that correspond to the appropriate reference.

Web page with author:

"Heavy social media use can be linked to depression and other mental disorders in teens (Asmelash, 2019)."

Web page with organisational author:

"More than 300 million people worldwide are affected by depression (World Health Organization, 2018)."

Web page with no date:

"Establishing regular routines, such as exercise, can help survivors of disasters recover from trauma (American Psychological Association [APA], n.d.)."

Note that in-text references should appear immediately after the title, word, or phrase to which they are relevant, and they should always precede punctuation marks.

Citing a website on the reference page

There are several different styles of referencing a website, depending on the style guide you are using. Here is how to cite a website using the APA and Harvard referencing styles.

APA Referencing Style

When referencing a webpage in APA style, the basic structure is as follows:

Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of Web Page. Name of Website. URL

For example:

Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like 'Better Call Saul' last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/

Note that not all information found on a website will follow this structure. Only use this format if your online source does not fit into another source category. For example, if you are referencing a video on YouTube, refer to the 'YouTube Video' section of the style guide.

When referencing a webpage with an individual author, the format is as follows:

> Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials.

> Year, Month Day (in round brackets). Use the most exact date possible.

> The first line of each citation is left-adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.

For example:

> Johnson, A. (2018, May 24). "It doesn't need to be this way": The promise of specialised early intervention in psychosis services. IEPA. https://iepa.org.au/network-news/it-doesn't-need-to-be-this-way-the-promise-of-specialised-early-intervention-in-psychosis-services/

If there is no identifiable author or authoring body, use the title of the webpage in place of the author. If there is no date on the webpage, use the abbreviation 'n.d.' for 'no date'.

If the content of the webpage is likely to change over time, include a retrieval date before the URL. Otherwise, just include the URL.

Harvard Referencing Style

When referencing a website in Harvard style, the basic structure is as follows:

> the name (or alias) of the author

> the title of the posting (if applicable) between single quotation marks

> the title of the site (in italics)

> the date of posting (day month)

> accessed day month year (the date you viewed the site)

> the URL of the blog post (between pointed brackets)

For example:

> Bartlett, A 2007, The Bartlett diaries, weblog, accessed 22 May 2007, .

If there is no author, list the title of the article first, followed by the publication title (in italics with maximum capitalisation), the date published (date, month, year), and the page number (if available).

For example:

> 'Baby tapir wins hearts at zoo', The Independent, 9 August 2013, p. 36

Citing a website without an author

When citing a website without an author, the general rule is to lead with the title of the webpage article, followed by the publication date, website name, and URL. The exact formatting depends on the citation style you are using. Here's how to cite a webpage without an author in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.

APA Style

In APA style, a citation for a webpage without an author should include the title of the webpage, publication date, website name, and URL. Here is the template:

> Title of the webpage. (Year, Month Date). Website Name. URL

> Language learning with the unique language used today. (2019, August 20). Psychological Review. http://www.psychologyreview.org/language_learning_as_language_us

Note that the title of the webpage should be in sentence case and only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. The publication date is in parenthesis, followed by a period. The website name is in title case and the URL is included at the end without a period.

For in-text citations, use the first few words of the webpage title and the publication date in parenthesis, for example: ("Language Learning," 2019).

MLA Style

In MLA style, a citation for a webpage without an author includes the title of the article or webpage, the name of the website, the publisher (if different from the website name), the publication date, and the URL. Here is the template:

> “Title of the Article or Webpage.” Website Name, Publisher, Publication Date, URL

> “Stanley Crane Dies at Smithsonian’s National Zoo.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institute, February 9, 2022, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/stanley-crane-dies-smithsonians-national-zoo

Note that the title of the article or webpage is in title case and enclosed in quotation marks. The website name and publisher are in title case, the publication date is in day, month, and year format, and the URL is included at the end.

For in-text citations in MLA style, use the title of the article or webpage and do not include the publication date, for example: ("Stanley Crane Dies at Smithsonian’s National Zoo").

Chicago Style

In Chicago style, a citation for a webpage without an author includes the title of the webpage, the website name, the publication date, and the URL. Here is the template:

> “Title of the Webpage,” Website Name, Month Day, Year, URL

> “Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic,” World Health Organization, October 14, 2021, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Note that the title of the webpage is in title case and enclosed in quotation marks. The website name is in title case, the publication date is in month, day, and year format, and the URL is included at the end.

For footnotes in Chicago style, include as much of the following information as possible: the title or description of the page, the title of the website, the owner or sponsor of the site, the publication or modification date, the access date (if the publication date is not available), and the URL.

Citing a website with no date

When creating a reference for a website with no date, different citation styles have different requirements. Here is a guide to some of the most common styles:

APA 7th Edition

In the APA 7th edition style, if the webpage you are citing does not have a date, use "n.d." instead of the year in both the in-text citations and reference entries. For example:

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname, n.d.)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname, n.d., para. number)

Reference List:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (n.d.). Title of webpage. Site Name. https://URL

Note that you should only include retrieval dates when the webpage you are citing is likely to change over time, such as a Wikipedia article. In such cases, the format would be:

Author/source (if available). (n.d.). Title (if no title, provide a description but do not place it in italics). Retrieved month date, year, from https://URL

Harvard Style

The Harvard Style also uses "n.d." in place of the date. An example of this format is:

First author Last name, Initials, second author Last name, Initials and third author Last name, Initials. (n.d.) Title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.

In-text citations in the Harvard Style would look like this:

• First author Last name, second author last name and third author Last name (no date)
• (First author Last name, second author last name and third author Last name, no date)

Other Tips

If you cannot find out who wrote or published the content of a website, consider if it is suitable for use in academic work. You can usually find the publisher by checking the links to the homepage, and this can be used as the author in your reference.

For news websites, provide the writer as the author, the specific date the story was published, the title of the news story in italic sentence case, the name of the news website, and the URL.

Citing a website with no author or date

Citing a website with no clear author or date can be tricky, but there are established guidelines to ensure your referencing is clear and accurate. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a reference for a website with no author or date, with examples in the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.

APA Style

The APA 7th edition guidelines are commonly used in social and behavioural sciences. Here is how to cite a website with no author or date in APA style:

• In-text citation: If no author is listed, use the first few words of the webpage title, in quotation marks, along with the year. For example: ("United Arab Emirates Architecture," n.d.). If there is no date listed, use the abbreviation "n.d." in place of the year.
• Reference list entry: The reference list entry follows a similar format. Start with the first few words of the webpage title in sentence case and in quotation marks, followed by a period. Then, in brackets, write "n.d." (for "no date") followed by a period. Finally, add the URL. For example: “United Arab Emirates Architecture.” (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.uaeinteract.com/

MLA Style

MLA is the second most commonly used style and is used mainly in the humanities. Here is how to cite a website with no author or date in MLA style:

• In-text citation: Cite the first few words of the webpage title in quotation marks, followed by a period. For example: (“Citing Sources”).
• Works cited entry: Start with the first few words of the webpage title in quotation marks, followed by a period. Then, in brackets, write the name of the website in italics, followed by a comma. Finally, add the URL and access date. For example: “Citing Sources in Academic Writing.” Scribbr. www.scribbr.com/category/citing-sources/. Accessed 4 March 2021.

Chicago Style

Chicago style is popular in the humanities, especially history. It uses footnotes and a bibliography. Here is how to cite a website with no author or date in Chicago style:

• Footnote: Cite the first few words of the webpage title in quotation marks, followed by a comma. Then write the website name, a comma, and the date accessed. Finally, add the URL. For example: “Citing Sources in Academic Writing,” Scribbr, accessed March 4, 2021, https://www.scribbr.com/category/citing-sources/.
• Bibliography entry: Start with the first few words of the webpage title in quotation marks, followed by a period. Then, write the website name in italics, a comma, and the date accessed. Finally, add the URL. For example: “Citing Sources in Academic Writing.” Scribbr. Accessed March 4, 2021. https://www.scribbr.com/category/citing-sources/.

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