Citing Internet Sources:
Make sure your citations of online content are correct

In the same way that many style guides exist for citing printed information sources (APA,MLA,Chicago Style, etc.) many style guides have cropped up with suggestions on how to cite electronic and internet sources. Variations abound, but basically, the major components of a citation remain the same: author (if known), title, publisher, date.

When citing a Web page, the author of the document is listed first (if an author is given) and the title of the page should be easily identified. Instead of publication information, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is given. The date created should be the date on the web page. The date you visited the page is given in parentheses at the end of the citation.

Here's an example:

The above example illustrates the basic citation components. Whether you use italics, underline, or parenthesis, will depend on the style guide you follow. Below is a selective list of documents from the World Wide Web which deals with citations for electronic sources. Consult the individual sites for more comprehensive descriptions and examples.

Reprinted from the Online Library at California State University Channel Islands

Online! Citation Styles - A hypertext guide to citing electronic sources and online materials, complete with examples

Electronic reference formats recommended by the American Psychological Association - Recommendations for citing entire Web sites, e-mail, and articles and abstracts from electronic databases