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Citing Internet Sources
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APA | MLA | Univ. of Chicago | Government Publications | Maps

These sources provide formats and examples for citing Internet sources, articles on the Web, Web sites, etc. in a bibliography or footnote. It is best to be consistent with the bibliographic style you are using to cite books and journals. To provide an example, the Web sites below are cited in the style recommended by the APA at http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

American Psychological Association. (2003). APA style.org electronic references. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
Based on the 5th edition of the APA Publication Manual (© 2001).

Harnack, A. and Kleppinger, E. (2001). Citation styles: Using principles of APA style to cite and document sources. In Online! A reference guide to using Internet resources. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html
Provides formats and good explanations.

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

Modern Language Association. (2002). MLA style. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://www.mla.org/
The style authorized by the MLA. Click "MLA Style" at left, then click "Frequently Asked Questions about MLA Style," and choose "How Do I Document Sources from the WWW."

Harnack, A. and Kleppinger, E. (2001). Citation styles: Using MLA style to cite and document sources. In Online! A reference guide to using Internet resources. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html
Provides formats and good explanations.

University of Nevada Reno Libraries. (2004). Citing government information sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) style. Retrieved January 26, 2004 from http://www.library.unr.edu/depts/bgic/guides/government/cite.html

University of Chicago (& Turabian) Style

Harnack, A. and Kleppinger, E. (2001). Citation styles: Using Chicago style to cite and document sources. In Online! A reference guide to using Internet resources. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite7.html
Provides formats and good explanations.

Crouse, M. (2002). Citing electronic information in history papers. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://cas.memphis.edu/~mcrouse/elcite.html

Government Publications

Furuta, Ken. DocSite. Arizona State University Libraries, Government Documents Service. Retrieved January 24, 2006 from http://www.asu.edu/lib/hayden/govdocs/docscite/docscite.htm

University of Memphis Regional Depository Library. (2002). Uncle Sam - Brief guide to citing government publications. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam/citeweb.html

University of Nevada Reno Libraries. (2004). Citing government information sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) style. Retrieved January 26, 2004 from http://www.library.unr.edu/depts/bgic/guides/government/cite.html

LexisNexis. (2002). How to cite electronic, print and microfiche Congressional publications. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/h_cites.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Suggested Citation Sytles for Information on the Census Bureau Internet Site. Retrieved January 24, 2006 from http://www.census.gov/main/www/citation.html

Maps

McMaster University Libraries. (2002). Guide to citing maps and atlases. Retrieved January 20, 2003 from http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/mapcite.htm

Basic Advice on Citing Internet Sources

• Print or save to a disk Web documents you cite. They might disappear, relocate, or become revised. The copy you keep may very soon be the only way to see it again.

• If the Web document is an abridgment of a printed (published) source, it is better to cite the more complete printed source. Citing both versions is another option.

• Choose to cite signed Web documents whenever possible, i.e. those whose authors are apparent. Web documents from unknown authors or organizations are suspect, and may be less reliable and verifiable than other sources.

• Gauge whether the information in the Web document is reliable by comparing the author's evidence and conclusions with that in other sources you have used and by researching the author's reputation. It is wise to use and cite a variety of resources, not only those on the Web.

• The rules of citation (attributing quotations and intellectual content) apply equally to Internet and traditionally published sources; so do standards of quality.

Prepared by Patti S. Caravello
UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library
Reference & Instructional Services

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