4.4: Writing a Citation for information found on a website


Citation (Documentation) is the systematic process of giving credit to the sources of ideas and information that are used in your paper. Its purpose is to identify the works you consulted and to distinguish these works from your own ideas, facts, and opinions.

 

Failure to cite your sources is plagiarism, which is the presentation of another's words, ideas or research as your own.  This is a form of theft, and it applies to the use of material found on the Internet as well as books, articles or any form of print or non-print resources. A more detailed explanation of source documentation can be found in the MLA Handbook, available on Reserve at the Circulation desk and in Reference LB2369 .G53.

 

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: Modern

 

Language Association of America, 2003.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The proper formats for creating citations for information found on general and subscriptiption websites, e-books, and general online periodicals are listed below. Note that the date the site was accessed is an important part of the citation, so it's a good idea to write down the access date for reference


Website –  from a WCC Subscription database (use for Hoovers, etc.)
(Database section of Library homepage)


Citation Format

"Name of section of homepage." Name of Database. Publisher. Copyright Year. State U of New York, WCC Lib.,

         Valhalla, NY. Day of Access Month Year <URL of Database>.

Example

Pixar Animation Studios; Fact Sheet." Hoovers Online.  Hoovers, Inc. 2003. 

         State U of New York, WCC Lib., Valhalla, NY. 15 Jan. 2003 <http://www.hoovers.com>.

Website - General


Citation Format

Last Name of Author or Agency, First Name (if given). "Title of article or title of page of the site."

Site Name or Original Source. Date Created and Publisher. Date of Access Month
 
Year <URL>.    

Example

"Nike, Inc." Bigcharts.com. Martketwatch.com. 1998-2003. 15 Jan. 2003

<http://www.bigcharts.com>. 

General online periodical


Citation Format

Author's name. "Title of work or material." Name of Periodical. Date of Publication.  

Volume number. Issue number. Total number of pages (if available). Date of
 
access Month Year <URL>.

Example

“McDonald’s Stock Slides as More Customers Turn to Food.” The Onion. 15 Jan. 2003.

Vol. 39. Issue 1.  17 Jan. 2003 <http://www.theonion.com/onion3901/mcdonalds_stock_slides.html>

                       

E-Book  (Database section of Library homepage, including NetLibrary)        


Citation Format

Last name of author, First name of author. Title of work. Editor’s name. Publication

place (print): Publisher (print), Publication date (print). Title of site. Editor of site  

or project. Publication date (electronic).  Name of institution or organization

 sponsoring the site. Date accessed (unique for each user).  <URL in angle brackets>.        

 Example

Zeinert, Karen. Those Courageous Women of the Civil War. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook

Press, 1998. netLibrary. 2000.  Sate U of New York, WCC Lib., Valhalla, NY. 6 Mar. 2001.

http://www.netLibrary.com/urlapi.asp.?action=summary&v=1&bookid=28948

Now it's time to conduct an internet search of your own, using your own topic and keywords. Move to the next page for instructions on how to begin.


 Next: Go to Create Works Cited List