How to write references for Internet pages and online resources

Writing references — also called citations — is as simple (or as complicated) as writing them for printed sources. If you've ever spent time agonising over how to reference a website page, then read on.

The three main types of electronic sources are:

1. websites or web pages
2. complete works (reports, research papers, online books)
3. articles from periodicals such as journals or newspapers.

Use the guidelines below and it's easy.

Be as specific as possible

The diversity of material on the Internet can sometimes make it difficult to create useful references. The number one rule is to be as specific as possible. Remember that the main purpose of any reference is to enable readers to find a particular website, page or document themselves. Here are two examples presented in both American Psychological Association (APA) and Write Group style. There are more examples at the end of this page.

Web page (APA)
Write Group Limited. (2003). StyleWriter. Retrieved May 20th, 2003, from http://www.write.co.nz/mainsite/StyleWriter.html

Web page (Write Group)
Write Group Limited. StyleWriter. 2003. Retrieved from http://www.write.co.nz/mainsite/StyleWriter.html (20 May 2003)

Article on website (APA)
Write Group Limited. (2003). How to write references for Internet pages and online resources. Free stuff. Retrieved May 20th, 2003, from http://www.write.co.nz/mainsite/HowToWriteReferencesForInternetPagesAndOnlineResou.html

Article on website (Write Group)
Write Group Limited. 'How to write references for Internet pages and online resources.' Free Stuff. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.write.co.nz/mainsite/HowToWriteReferencesForInternetPagesAndOnlineResou.html (20 May 2003)

Be consistent

You need to include the same key elements and to order them in the same way that you do for print sources. The details of how you do this will depend on the referencing style you use.

Remember these two differences

Internet sources differ from print sources in two main ways.

• Internet sources should include two dates — the date on which a web page was last updated (if possible) and the date on which it was accessed.
• Internet sources should have a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that shows where you sourced the document.

Include as many of these elements as possible

Author
Format the author(s) and/or editors as you would for a print citation.

Date of publication or revision
This will be the date of publication (for complete works or periodicals) or of last amendment (for web pages). This date may be at the bottom of the page. If there is no date, write 'n.d.'.

Title of document
Format the title and subtitle as you would for a print citation. This element may be the title of an article, or the title of a chapter. Start the citation with the title if there is no author or editor.

Title of complete work
This may be the title of the book, or a periodical. Use italics.

Issue information
For periodicals, this will be volume, issue, and (perhaps) page numbers.

Date of access
The way in which you format this element will depend on your referencing style, but it is important to include the date on which you accessed the document on the Internet.

Uniform Resource Locator
The best way to make sure you record the URL accurately is to copy and paste it into your word processing document directly from the address window in your browser. If you must break a long URL over a line, break it after a slash or before a period. Don't add any punctuation at the end of the URL.

More examples

The following examples are presented in both APA and Write Group referencing styles.

Web page (APA)
University of Tennessee. University Libraries. (2003). Reference shelf: Style manuals. Retrieved February 17th, 2003, from http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/style.html

Web page (Write Group)
University of Tennessee. University Libraries. Subject Guides: Style Manuals. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/style.html (20 May 2004)

Chapter in an online book (APA)
Harnack, A., & Kleppinger, E. (2003). Choosing and evaluating Internet resources. In Online!: A reference guide to using internet resources. Retrieved May 7th, 2003, from http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/lnks4.html

Chapter in an online book (Write Group)
Harnack, A, and Kleppinger, E. 'Choosing and Evaluating Internet Resources.' In Online!: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Resources. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/lnks4.html (20 May 2003)

Journal article (APA)
Greenberg, M. T. (2001). The prevention of mental disorders in school-aged children: Current state of the field. Prevention and Treatment, 4, Article 0001a. Retrieved May 7th, 2003, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume4/pre0040001a.html

Journal article (Write Group)
Greenberg, M T. 'The Prevention of Mental Disorders in School-Aged Children: Current State of the Field.' Prevention and Treatment, 4, Article 0001a. (2001). Retrieved from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume4/pre0040001a.html (7 May 2003)

Referencing styles

Your preferred referencing style will have its own guidelines for setting out citations.
The following links will lead you to useful Internet sites.

The American Psychological Association
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

University of Tennessee Libraries
http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/style.html

Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Resources
http://www.smpcollege.com/online-4styles~help

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