Using the web to find information for your school paper is the easiest way for students. Since it’s easy to upload content daily or even hourly, the information is current. However, remember that not everything online is a reliable source. For example, you can look at the URL of the website and review the publisher and author. Website addresses that end in .edu or .gov are typically reliable. Follow the citation format for the source and add the website address at the end. Use “Retrieved from” to guide the reader to the source.
Basic APA Citation Format
Use the basic APA citation format to cite sources from websites. Include the URL or DOI but do not place a period after the web address.
Author, A. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle of article. Publisher. Retrieved from https://www.xxxxxxx.com
If there is no author, use the organization’s name or the title of the article in its place.
No Author
Example
American College Health Association. (2015). National College Health Assessment II: Spring 2015 reference group executive summary. Retrieved from http://www.acha-ncha.org/reports_ACHA-NCHAII.html
Newspaper Article
Example
Roth, C. (2019, November 11). Group gathers at state Capitol in support of DACA on eve of Supreme Court case. Arizona Republic. Retrieved from https://www.azcentral.com
Online Magazine Article Citation
Example
Haidt, J. & Rose-Stockwell, T. (2019, December). The dark psychology of social networks: Why it feels like everything is going haywire. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/social-media-democracy/600763/
Online Journal Article Citation
Example
Lakoff, G. (2014). Mapping the brain’s metaphor circuitry: Metaphorical thought in everyday reason. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (8). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267278/
Electronic Book Citation
Ebook Citation Example
Jha, N. (2011). English speaking and grammar through Hindi. Retrieved from https://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-niranjan-jha-english-speaking-and-grammar-through-hindi/
Print/Online Book Citation Example
London, J. (2008). The call of the wild [Ebook #215]. The Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/215/215-h/215-h.htm
Blog Post Citation
Blog Citation Example
Millard, D. (2019, November 8). The Public Domain Review rockets the oddities of the past into the present. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://theoutline.com/post/8208/the-public-domain-review-rockets-the-oddities-of-the-past-into-the-present
Blog Comment Citation
Example
Brodsky, J. (2019, November 6). Re: An inspiring story for writers: Could this be you someday [Web log comment]. Retrieved from https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/impact/#more-4569
Online Forum Message Citation
Example
SocialButterfly. (2018, November 23). Re: How do I tell a family member that they have gained weight in a polite encouraging way [Online forum comment). Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/
Video Blog Post Citation
Example
Bialik, M. (n.d.). Stigma free [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8gKy5eKupw
Electronic Mailing List Citation
Example
Kelso, J. (2019, November 7). Re: COSLA seeks dialogue with Macmillan Publishers on eBook sales. [Electronic mailing list message]. Retrieved from https://. www. nmlamembership@mailman.nmsu.edu
Online Map Citation
Example
United States Geological Survey [Cartographer]. (1960). Albuquerque West [Topo map]. Retrieved from https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/NM/NM_Albuquerque%20West_193696_1960_24000_geo.jpg
Podcast Citation
Example
Taylor, H. [Producer]. (2019, November 10). Season 14: Theory and technique. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://writingexcuses.com/
- Do not place a period after the URL
- Include https:// or http:// before the URL
- Use screen names for blog comments or online forums, if needed