Referencing websites in essays is important to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original authors of information and ideas. There are a few main styles used to reference websites in academic papers such as APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian. Whichever referencing style your instructor or publisher requires should be followed consistently throughout your paper.
In MLA style, which is commonly used for papers in the humanities, references are included in footnotes or endnotes. For website references, the basic structure is:
Last name, First name. “Title of Web Page.” Title of Website, Publisher, Date of publication, URL. Access date.
For example:
Smith, John. “Best Practices for Website Referencing.” Guide to Citation Styles, Citation Guide Publishing, 15 Jan. 2020, https://www.citationguide.com/website-referencing. Accessed 12 Feb. 2020.
Key details included are the author name, title of the web page, title of the overall website, publisher which can often just be the organization that runs the site, date of publication or last update, URL, and the date accessed. If no author is listed, the title moves first.
APA style is often used in the sciences and uses a parenthetical referencing system where the reference is contained in parentheses within the text. For a website reference in APA, include the author name, date of publication, and URL. For example:
As stated on the Guide to Citation Styles website, proper referencing gives credit and allows readers to follow up on sources (Smith, 2020, https://www.citationguide.com).
The full reference would then be included in the references list at the end in alphabetical order by author last name. The format follows:
Smith, J. (2020, January 15). Best practices for website referencing. Guide to Citation Styles. https://www.citationguide.com/website-referencing
Some key points about APA website references:
If no author is listed use the title moved in front of the date within the text and on the references list.
For undated pages use the initials n.d. for no date.
URL or DOI should be included in references. DOI is Digital Object Identifier which is preferable if available instead of URL.
Date accessed only included in text reference, not references list entry.
For Chicago style which is also known as Turabian style and commonly used in history papers, website references are treated similarly to a book reference styled as footnotes. The basic format includes:
Last name, First name, “Title of Web Page or Article,” Title of Overall Website, date updated/published if available, URL (date accessed).
For example:
Smith, John, “Best Practices for Chicago Website Citations,” Guide to Citation, January 15, 2020, https://www.citationguide.com/chicago-website, (accessed February 12, 2020).
The key differences from MLA and APA are Chicago style places the URL and date accessed in parentheses at the end rather than included in-text. It also uses “Title of Web Page or Article” where MLA uses just “Title of Web Page.”
Some general tips for citing websites no matter the style:
Always include the full URL instead of just main URL homepages. Direct people to the exact page or document.
Note if it is an online journal, magazine, newspaper or database article instead of just a basic webpage.
Give as much publication detail as possible like publishers, authors, dates for credibility and verifiability.
Be sure websites are credible sources from reputable organizations, individuals, educational institutions rather than random blogs or commercial pages.
Double check URLs and dates accessed prior to final submission to ensure they are still live and active links.
Be consistent in applying whichever reference style is required and check guidelines if unsure of any aspect of citations. Consistency is key.
Proper referencing of websites and other sources demonstrates academic integrity, gives credit to original work that supports your own paper, and allows readers to easily follow up on sources on their own if desired. Taking care with citation details lends credibility and trustworthiness to research. Mastering one of MLA, APA or Chicago website reference formats early ensures smooth sailing when it comes to citing Internet sources.