How to Cite Apa From a Website in 2023/24
APA citation, also known as referencing, is the process of quoting or paraphrasing someone’s work in your own writing to convey a specific meaning within a given context. It is an essential part of academic writing, providing validation and supporting evidence for your arguments. APA citation allows readers to access the sources you’ve used and verifies that your work is based on credible information. This article discusses how to cite APA from a website and provides guidelines for APA citation.
What is APA’s Style of Reference Citation?
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is widely used in social sciences and academic writing. It employs an author-date format, where both the author’s name and the publication year are included in the main text. APA citation can be used for various sources, including books, websites, journal articles, magazines, newspapers, and electronic media. The style has undergone revisions to adapt to the evolving writing landscape, with the latest edition being APA 2019, 7th edition. Let’s explore how to cite APA from a website.
How to Cite a Website in APA
When citing information from a website, it is crucial to conduct thorough research and select credible websites and online articles. Utilizing online citation tools can assist in generating accurate citations from different websites.
A website citation in APA should include the author’s last name and first initials, followed by the publication date in parentheses. The title of the web page, the name of the website, and the URL should also be provided. It’s important to note that if the online source does not follow the typical structure or lacks necessary information, it can only be used if it doesn’t fall under other source categories.
Here’s an example of an APA format citation from a website:
Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight.
When citing a webpage from a website, the following checklist should be considered:
– Include the author’s name and additional authors if applicable, with the surname followed by first initials.
– Enclose the publication date in brackets, including the year, month, and day if available.
– Italicize the title of the webpage.
– Provide the name of the website.
– Include the URL to authenticate the website.
The first line of each citation should be left-aligned, with subsequent lines indented 5-7 spaces.
Citing a Website in APA 7th Edition
The APA 7th edition provides guidelines for citing websites, including the option to electronically cite short and long URLs within the text.
When referencing a page within a website, follow this format:
Author’s Name, Date of Publication, Title of the Web Page, Publisher or Sponsor (if provided), URL.
If the author and the publisher are the same, omit the publisher to avoid repetition. This format is commonly used for downloaded PDF documents.
When citing an entire website, the structure remains the same, but the URL provided should be the homepage URL of the website to authenticate the source.
Citing a Government Website in APA 7th Edition
Citing a government website in APA 7th edition follows similar guidelines. Here’s an example:
Queensland Health. (2016, July 26). Food safety fact sheet 51: Food allergies. Queensland Government.
For government websites, use the agency mentioned in the post as the citation. If no specific author is provided, use the agency’s name as the source. Include the specific date, month, and year the agency published the article on the webpage. Avoid using article review dates and ensure the title of the webpage is italicized. The URL should be included at the end of the reference.
In-Text Citation in APA
In-text citations are included within the body of your research paper whenever you quote or paraphrase someone’s work. They provide brief information about the source and direct readers to the complete reference list.
In APA, in-text citations include the author’s name, page number (for direct quotes), and year of publication, all enclosed in parentheses. When the author’s name is part of the narrative, it does not need to be repeated within the parentheses. In cases where the author is unknown, the title and date can be used.
Electronic Sourcing in APA Citation
Electronic sourcing in APA citation refers to the automated retrieval of references from virtual sources. Electronic resources include email, e-journals, databases, e-books, websites, and more.
When citing electronic sources in APA, follow these general guidelines:
– Arrange author names alphabetically.
– Italicize volume numbers of periodical articles.
– Enclose the issue number in parentheses.
– In-text citations should list authors’ names and publication years in alphabetical order.
– Include the page number when citing direct quotes.
– Use paragraph numbers for sources without page numbers.
It’s important to correctly format brackets around electronic citations, as required by APA style. Brackets should strictly surround the reference and include the author’s name, year of publication, and page number.
In summary, APA citation is an integral part of academic writing. The APA style, widely used in social sciences, provides guidelines for referencing various sources. Proper citation ensures the credibility and validity of your work.