APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

  • Basics of APA Formatting
  • In Text Quick View
  • Block Quotes
  • Books & eBooks
  • Thesis/Dissertation

Standard Format

Formatting rules.

  • Audiovisual
  • Conference Presentations
  • Social Media
  • Legal References
  • Reports and Gray Literature
  • Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
  • Additional Resources
  • Reference Page

Click on the categories below to see what types of information is included for that reference component for Dissertations and Theses

Basic Format: Who = Author (When = year). What = Title. Where = Name of Institution Awarding Degree

Unpublished Dissertations and Theses

Author Surname, A. A.

Title of dissertation/thesis: Use sentence case [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/master’s thesis].

Name of Institution Awarding the Degree

Published Dissertations and Theses

Title of dissertation: Use sentence case [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].

Provide Database or Archive name and URL (if available)

Database Name. https://xxxx...

Archive Name.

Formatting:

  • Italicize the title
  • Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title

Click on categories below to see examples.

Thesis, from a commercial database

Dissertation, from an institutional database, unpublished master’s thesis.

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  • Last Updated: Sep 13, 2024 9:50 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th
  • Bibliography Answers

How to cite a website in APA, MLA, or Harvard style

Image of daniel-elias

There are many different ways to cite a website, depending on which citation style you need to format it in.

 The easy way to cite a website in any citation style

Use our citation generator below to automatically cite a website in any style, including APA, MLA 7 and 8, and Harvard. Just select the style you need, copy the URL into the search box, and press search. We’ll do the rest.

 The manual way to cite a website

To cite a website by hand just follow the instructions below. For the 3 most popular styles–APA, MLA 8, and Harvard–this is as follows:

 In APA style

You need to locate these details for the website: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web address) .

  • The author can typically be found on the page, but if there isn’t one listed you can use the website name in its place.
  • The page title can be found near the top of the page, and you can also find it by hovering your mouse over the browser tab.
  • The website name can usually be found in the web address or by looking for a logo or similar at the very top of the page.
  • There often isn’t a publish date , but if there is it’ll be very close to the page title.
  • The access date is the date you took information from the article (usually today).
  • The page URL can be copied straight from the address bar of your browser and will start with either http:// or https://.

Then use this template, replacing the colored placeholders with the information you found on the page:

Author last name , author first name initial . ( published year , published month and day ). Page title . Retrieved accessed month and day , accessed year , from article URL .

The final formatted citation should look like this:

Ingle, S. (2018, February 11). Winter Olympics was hit by cyber-attack, officials confirm. Retrieved July 24, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/11/winter-olympics-was-hit-by-cyber-attack-officials-confirm.

For a more comprehensive guide, including what to do when you can’t find certain details, have a look at our more in-depth guide to citing a website in APA format .

 In MLA 8 style

Here are the specific details you need to find on the page: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web address) .

Then use this template:

Author last name , author first name . “ Page title .” website name , published date day, month, year , page URL . Accessed accessed date day, month, year .

Ingle, Sean. “Winter Olympics Was Hit by Cyber-Attack, Officials Confirm.” The Guardian , 11 Feb. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/11/winter-olympics-was-hit-by-cyber-attack-officials-confirm. Accessed 13 July 2018.

For a more comprehensive guide, including what to do when you can’t find certain details, have a look at our more in-depth guide to citing a website in MLA 8 format .

 In Harvard style

First, find these details for the website: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web address) .

Author last name , author firstname initial ( published date year ). Page title . [online] website name . Available at: page URL [Accessed accessed date day, month, year ].

Ingle, S. (2018). Winter Olympics was hit by cyber-attack, officials confirm . [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/11/winter-olympics-was-hit-by-cyber-attack-officials-confirm [Accessed 13 Jul. 2018].

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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Citing Your Sources in APA 7th: Websites

  • Books and eBooks
  • Encyclopedia and Dictionary Entries
  • Government Documents
  • Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
  • Journal Articles
  • Newspaper and Magazine Articles
  • Social Media
  • Videos and Other Multimedia
  • Advertisements
  • Book Reviews
  • ChatGPT and Generative AI
  • Emails, Interviews, and Personal Communications
  • Formatting Your Paper
  • How to Identify Source Types
  • Other Styles

How to Cite Websites

  • Webpage or Document On a Website

Webpage or Document on a Website

Webpage with individual author.

Author(s) or username if no real name provided. (Year, Month Date). Title of webpage or document: Subtitle if any.  Name of Website. URL

Morin, A. (2022, January 6). How exposure to the media can harm your teen's body image . Verywell Family .  www.verywellfamily.com/media-and-teens-body-image-2611245

Price, D. (2018, March 23).  Laziness does not exist . Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

Webpage with Group or Corporate Author

Group or Corporation Name. (Year, Month Date). Title of webpage or document: Subtitle if any.  Name of Website [if different from group name]. URL

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).  Preventing HPV-associated cancers . https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/prevention.htm

Webpage with Unknown Author

Title of webpage or document: Subtitle if any.  (Year, Month Date). Name of Website. URL

Environmental Policy . (n.d.) Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/environmental-policy

Wikipedia Entry

Title of entry. (Year, Month Date last modified). In  Wikipedia.  URL

Oil painting. (2019, December 8). In  Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oil_painting&oldid=929802398

How to Format Author Names

  • Works Cited List
  • In-Text Citation

Last Name, First Initial. or Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial (if provided in source).

Name Examples:

Anzaldúa, G. Kendi, I. X. Wallace, D. F.

Citation Example:

Anzaldúa, G. (2012).  Borderlands / la frontera: The new mestiza  (4th ed.). Aunt Lute Books. 

Two Authors

Last Name, A. A., & Last Name, B. B.

Wykes, M., & Gunter, B. (2005).  The media and body image: If looks could kill.  Sage.

Three to Twenty Authors

Last Name, A. A., Last Name, B. B., & Last Name, C. C.

Nguyen, T., Carnevale, J. J., Scholer, A. A., Miele, D. B., & Fujita, K. (2019). Metamotivational knowledge of the role of high-level and low-level construal in goal-relevant task performance.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 117 (5), 879-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000166

More Than Twenty Authors

Last Name, A. A., Last Name, B. B., Last Name, C. C., Last Name, D. D., Last Name, E. E., Last Name, F. F., Last Name, G. G., ... Last Name, Z. Z.

Pegion, K., Kirtman, B. P., Becker, E., Collins, D. C., LaJoie, E., Burgman, R., Bell, R., DelSole, R., Min, D., Zhu, Y., Li, W., Sinsky, E., Guan, H., Gottschalck, J., Metzger, E. J., Barton, N. P., Achuthavarier, D., Marshak, J., Koster, R., . . .  Kim, H. (2019). The subseasonal experiment (SubX): A multimodel subseasonal prediction experiment.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ,  100 (10), 2043-2061. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0270.1

Group or Corporate Author

If the group author is different from publisher.

If the group author and the publisher are different entities, list the Group Name as the author. 

Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation. (1996).  Employability skills: Creating my future . Nelson.

If the Group Author and Publisher Are the Same

If the group author and the publisher are the same, follow the "No Author" rules instead.

If a source has no author, skip the author and start with the title. Do not use "Anonymous" as the author name unless the work is signed as "Anonymous."

"How to Teach Yourself Guitar."  eHow,  Demand Media, www.ehow.com/how_5298173_teach-yourself-guitar.html. Accessed 24 June 2016.

(Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Anzaldúa, 2012, p. 30)

(Last Name & Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Wykes & Gunter, 2012, p. 53)

Three or More Authors

(First Author's Last Name et al., Year, p. Page Number)

(Nguyen et al., 2019, p. 880)

(Group Name [Abbreviation if Any], Year, p. Page Number)

If a group author uses an abbreviation, you can introduce the abbreviation in brackets the first time you cite them; in subsequent citations, you can use only the abbreviation.

(Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation, 1996, p. 230)

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019) After the first citation: (CDC, 2019).

If your full citation for a group author starts with the title rather than the group's name, follow the "No Author" in-text citation rules instead.

( Title of Longer Work  or "Title of Shorter Work," Year, p. Page Number)

( Fair Housing,  1985, p. 15)

("How to Teach," 2016)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i format dates.

Many sources only require a publication year. For sources that require more information, dates should be formatted like this: Year, Month Day. Sources might provide a full date, only a month and year, or sometimes a season (such as Spring 2021); include as much information as the source provides. Do not abbreviate any month names. Example:  2021, October 17.

If there is no date, use "n.d." in place of the date.

What is a DOI?

Digital Object Identifiers, or DOIs, are unique numbers or hyperlinks assigned to some online resources, such as journal articles, to make them easier to find.

If a DOI is provided for a source, include it at the end of your citation after any page numbers. In your References list, you should always format a DOI as a URL beginning with "https://doi.org/" followed immediately by the DOI number.

Example:  For DOI "10.5642/jhummath.20170120," the URL version would be: https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.20170120

If no DOI is provided but a permalink or stable link is present, you can use that instead.

What if some information is missing?

If a source has no date, include the initials "n.d." (short for "no date") where you would normally put a date. If a source is missing any other information that you need for your citation, you can generally skip that element and move on to the next element in the citation. 

Examples: Some sources don't have an author; in this case, we skip the author and start our citation with the title. Most academic journals are published in volumes and issues, but some only have volumes; in this case, we list the volume number and skip the issue number. 

What if I don't know which source type I'm citing?

If you're not sure what type of source you're working with, don't worry! This is a very common challenge. Check out our page on Identifying Source Types .

What if I need to cite multiple sources by the same author?

References List:  List multiple works by the same author in order of year of publication from earliest to latest. Usually, the year of publication will be enough to distinguish between sources. If the same author has published multiple sources within the same year, add letters to the end of the year and organize alphabetically to distinguish between them, e.g. 2019a, 2019b, 2019c.

In-Text Citations:  Since in-text citations include the year of publication, no extra step is usually needed to distinguish between sources. If your full citation includes letters to distinguish between sources published in the same year, include the letters in your in-text citations as well. 

How do I cite multiple sources in a single in-text citation?

You can separate multiple in-text citations with a semi-colon to cite multiple sources at the same time. List the in-text citations in the order you used them in your sentence or paragraph. 

Example:  (Bennett, 2015; Smith, 2014). 

More Information on APA 7th

Cover Art

  • Pierce Library's APA 7th Quick Citation Guide Downloadable PDF with sample citations (including in-text) for different types of sources and a sample Works Cited page.
  • APA Style The official APA Style website from the American Psychological Association.
  • Purdue OWL APA 7 Formatting & Style Guide Very thorough overview of APA 7th with examples for how to construct both in-text and Reference List entries.

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  • Last Updated: Sep 17, 2024 12:12 PM
  • URL: https://library.piercecollege.edu/apa7

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Website Citation

How to Cite a Website in APA

This guide explains all of the important steps to referencing a website/web page in your APA research papers. The guidance below follows APA style, 7th edition.

APA format is much different than MLA format and other styles. If you need to cite websites in MLA , or you’re looking for more styles , check out the other resources on EasyBib.com!

Guide Overview

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

What is a website? Am I citing a website or a web page?

Citing a website in the text (in-text citation), citing a website on the reference page, citing a general web article without an author, titles of pages on the web, extra information, publisher information, web addresses and dois, apa format for online news articles, additional website citation examples, troubleshooting.

A website is a place on the Internet that holds a group of individual pages (called web pages).

Think of a website like a tree. A website is the tree, and the individual web pages are the branches. Use YouTube as an example. YouTube is the site, and the individual channel pages and video pages are the branches. Wikipedia is a site, and each article has its own individual web page on that site.

Most of the time, you aren’t trying to cite a whole, entire site, but actually an individual web page. If you used a YouTube video to help you with your research project, you wouldn’t cite the entire YouTube site, you would cite the specific YouTube page the video was found on.

Here’s a similar question we’re often asked when it comes to the APA citation of a web page:

Q: This page describes citing specific pages and articles. Can I cite an entire site?

A: According to the APA manual (7th edition), it is not necessary to cite a site in its entirety in a reference list. Instead, include a reference to the website in the body of your paper and cite any web page individually.

The Department of Justice has just released a new site called ReportCrime.gov at https://www.reportcrime.gov/ to help people identify and report crimes in their area.

In the above passage, the website is stated in the text rather than cited. This guide focuses on how to cite individual pages found on the web (web pages). If you used an entire website, it’s perfectly acceptable to cite the whole site in the text of your paper, as shown above, but for the most part, you want to cite the page where the information was found.

If you’re seeking out an APA citation website to take the stress away from proper referencing, try out EasyBib.com! Stop typing into the search bar, “how to cite a website APA” or “APA in-text citation website.” EasyBib.com is the answer to your referencing questions and needs!

When you include a piece of information from a site in your project, you must include two citations: a brief citation in the text and also a full citation on the reference page.

When it comes to mentions in the text, students are sometimes tempted to put the web address in the body of a project. However, URLs can be long, clunky, and distracting. They should never be written in the body of a project.

Instead of writing the full address in the text, use the last name of the author and the date the source was published. If no author is shown, write the title of the individual page and the date.

For direct quotations, you may use paragraphs to indicate the quotation’s location in the work. Count the paragraphs manually if needed and use the abbreviation “para.” for paragraph.

Check out this in-text citation APA website example:

In-text citation
Examples: The ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula have been affected by climate change (Rasmussen, 2021).

 

Researchers found that “these ice shelves may break up even faster than scientists had expected due to rising air temperatures” (Rasmussen, 2021, para. 2).

                 Cite your source

The above APA website in-text citation (the author’s last name and the date the information was published) corresponds to the information on the final page of the project, the reference page.

Here’s how the full APA citation for a web page looks on the final page of the project:

Reference page
Example

Rasmussen, C. (2021, October 12). . National Aeronautics and Space Administration. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/icy-glue-may-control-pace-of-antarctic-ice-shelf-breakup

Need more in-text citation APA website info? Here’s more on how to build an APA parenthetical citation . You may also like our full-length guide on how to create an APA in-text citation .

If you’re looking for information on structuring other styles in the text of your paper, check out our page on MLA in-text and parenthetical citations .

In the next section of this APA citation website guide, we’re going to focus on how to format an APA website citation. If you’re wondering how to create an APA citation of a web page, the majority of web references use the structure shown below.

General structure for how to cite a website in APA

Note: A retrieval date is no longer required for online sources. It’s only needed if the content is likely to change over time (such as wikis and social media). The article or page title should be italicized. The URL is at the end and does not have a period after it.

Full reference example:

Reference Page
Structure

Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Date Published). . Site Name. URL

Example

Limer, E. (2013, October 1). . Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/heck-yes-the-first-free-wireless-plan-is-finally-here

View Screenshot | Cite your source

Example of an in-text citation for a website in APA:

In-text citation
Example #1

(Limer, 2013)

Example #2

According to Limer (2013), …

If you’re looking for an APA format website to do the work for you, try out EasyBib.com’s citation generator. Our APA citation website makes referencing a breeze!

APA citation for website structure:

Do you need to cite a source with no author in APA ? No problem. Wikipedia pages, online dictionary sites, and online encyclopedia sites are just a few examples of sites without an author. When there is no clear individual author, use the website organization (group author) as the author.

Group authors

There are plenty of times when an individual’s name isn’t listed as the author, but the information on the site is written by a group, organization, or company.

In an APA website citation, it is completely acceptable to use the group’s name in the author position. Type it out in its entirety and add a period at the end. Check out the various APA citation of web page examples at the bottom of the page to see group authors in action!

Note: If the author name and website name is the same, just list it once in as the author; leave out the website name section in the APA citation. 

APA citation for website example:

Reference Page
Structure

Website Name. Year, Month Date of publication). . Site Name. URL

Examples

Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. (2014). . NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/lecture/

Columbia Doctors. (2016). . https://www.columbiadoctors.org/condition/vital-signs-body-temperature-pulse-rate-respiration-rate-blood-pressure

In-text citation
Example

(Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021, 2014)

If you’re wondering whether to include the full date in your APA citation for web pages (month, day, and year) or just the year, we have the answer for you here.

An APA citation of web page reference includes the month, day, and year if it’s a site that is updated with new information frequently. Blog posts, newspaper articles, posts from social media profiles, and YouTube videos are just a few of the sources that would display the full date. In an APA citation for web pages, it’s written in this order in parentheses: (Year, Month Day).

Reference Page
Example

Mukherjee, S. (2016, November 17). . VICE. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wdj7qz/how-far-can-we-push-the-limits-of-human-life

In-text citation
Example

(Mukherjee, 2016).

If there is any information missing, simply include what is available. Also, if there is no date , indicate this by using (n.d.).

No date APA website example:

Reference page
Example

Chegg Inc. (n.d.). Marginal product of labor. https://www.chegg.com/learn/economics/introduction-to-economics/marginal-product-of-labor

If you’re using the EasyBib citation generator to create an APA citation for a web page, our technology structures dates for you in their proper order. It’s the APA format website (and also the APA in-text citation website) you’ve been waiting for. Give it a whirl!

Here’s the advice we provide on many of our guides:

  • If the source you are citing is a standalone source, meaning an entire book, television series, or film, the title of such sources should be in italics.
  • If, however, you are citing a piece of a larger source, i.e., a journal article, a page on a site, or an episode of a show, the title should be in sentence case and not in italics.

Long story short, do not italicize an APA citation for web pages’ title in the text and on the final page of references.

For full references on the final page of the project, only include capital letters at the beginning of the title, at the beginning of each proper noun, and at the beginning of the first word in the subtitle.

The title is written in the text only when there isn’t an author listed. So, instead of showing the reference as (Author, Date), use (“Title of Page,” Date) in any APA citation for web pages. Notice the switch from sentence case to title case in the text reference.

A little extra information goes a long way when it comes to site citations. If you’re including a unique source type, include information about the medium directly after the title. This information is placed in brackets. Only the first letter is capitalized.

Here are a few examples you might see in an APA citation for a web page:

[Image attached]

[Infographic]

[Status update]

To see some of the extra information in action, scroll down to the examples towards the bottom of this page.

Speaking of extra information, it may not hurt to get some extra details on grammar topics in that brain of yours. Brush up on your adjective , pronoun , and interjection knowledge with our comprehensive guides!

Any information related to the publisher is not invited to the web citation party. In an APA citation of a web page, you do not need to include information about the company that made the site, where its offices are located, or any other similar information about the company in any web references. One thing less to worry about in your APA citation for web pages!

Other source types are much different, so before you exclude publisher information from all of your references, make sure you check out our APA citation page. While you’re at it, check out our other helpful resources, such as APA reference page  and MLA works cited .

We also need a web address and DOI number in an APA citation for a web page. Including site addresses and DOIs are an absolute necessity. Addresses and DOIs (which stand for direct object identifiers) are usually the last item in an APA website citation.

For sites, after adding the full URL to the APA citation for a web page, do not end it with a period. If the address is very long, it is acceptable to roll it onto the next line, but break it up so that a type of punctuation mark or symbol is the first item closest to the left margin. Check out the APA citation of a webpage URL below.

APA citation of a webpage example of a properly structured URL:

Reference Page
Example

https://books.google.com/books?id=Oa0JAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=sports+ medicine&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1l-jy-fPiAhVLMY8KHQD6BfUQ6AEIWjAJ#v=onepage&q=sports %20medicine&f=false

DOI numbers are assigned by publishers to electronic sources such as journal articles, e-books, datasets, and more. They’re a string of numbers and sometimes other characters. If the source you’re using has a DOI number assigned to it, place it at the end of the APA website citation, instead of the URL, in this format: https://doi.org/10.XXXXXXXXX. Place the DOI string in place of the X’s shown above.

DOIs were created to combat the problem of broken links and 404 errors (pages taken down). Think about it: if a webpage is taken off of the Internet, it can be pretty difficult to find a copy of it. If you’re lucky, an archive site may have a copy stored somewhere, but for the most part, when sites are gone, they’re gone. DOIs are permanent, making them the ideal choice to include in any APA citation for webpages.

APA properly structured DOI:

Reference Page
Example https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04043-8

APA differentiates between traditional newspapers that are online versus news websites with no daily/weekly/monthly newspaper or magazine edition. Unsure what you’re citing? Follow this decision tree:

  • YES –> Cite it as a newspaper article.
  • NO –> Cite it as a web page or a news site article.
  • NO –> Cite it as a web page or news site article.

Online news article APA example:

Reference Page
Example  

Nicholls, P., & Young, S. (2021, August 14). Reuters. https://www.reutersagency.com/en/coverage/a-great-british-spraycation-banksys-new-seaside-murals/

News sites with no associated daily/weekly/monthly publication should be cited like a web page. That means the article title is italicized and the publisher/site name is in plan font. This format applies to articles from these sites:

  • MSNBC Fox News

Newspaper article online APA example:

Reference Page
Example

Nunn, G. (2019, April 2). Don’t ditch the adverb, the emoji of writing. . https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/29/dont-ditch-the-adverb-the-emoji

Sites associated with a daily/weekly/monthly publication should be cited as a newspaper article. That means the article title is in plain font and the publisher/site name is italicized. This format applies to articles from these sites:

  • The New York Times
  • The Guardian
  • The Times of India
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • The Washington Post
  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Below are various web reference examples to give you a quick visual of how pages are structured and organized. Quick reminder that if you’re trying to create a reference for an e-book found on the web, use the APA book citation page. In addition, if it’s an online article from journal, use our APA journal page.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to build your references, EasyBib.com is an APA citation website that does the work for you. Try it out and say hello to stress-free referencing and goodbye to constantly searching for “how to cite a website APA” or “how to cite APA” on search engines. The APA offers more information here .

How to cite a group/organization/company:

Reference Page
Example

Columbia Doctors. (2016). . https://www.columbiadoctors.org/condition/vital-signs-body-temperature-pulse-rate-respiration-rate-blood-pressure

How to Cite a Blog Post in APA:

The structure is the same, but the format is slightly different: The blog article title is in plain text, and the name of the blog is italicized.

Reference Page
Structure

Last, F. M. (Year, Month Date Published). Article title. . URL

Example

Schonfeld, E. (2010, May 3). Google throws $38.8 million to the wind.   https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/03/google-38-8-million-wind/

APA citation of a web page example for Facebook:

The text of the post is italicized, while the site name (Facebook) is in plain text.

Reference Page
Example

Kaku, M. (2019, April 10). [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/michiokaku/

APA citation of a web page example for Twitter:

Reference Page
Example

Kaku, M. [michiokaku]. (2019, May 31). [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/michiokaku/status/1134489848994258945

Cite your source

If the name of the author is unknown, start the APA citation of a web page for Twitter with the username.

Reference Page
Example

Rdjquotes. (2019, June 19). “I think that we all do heroic things, but hero is not a noun, it’s a verb. #RDJ [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/rdjquotes/status/1141344520535252993

Need another set of eyes to check your paper for grammar and spelling edits? Not quite sure if every determiner , preposition , or conjunction is where it belongs? Check out our grammar and plagiarism checker . It’s the answer to all of your grammar questions!

If you’re still confused and typing into the search bar, “how to cite APA” or “how to cite a website APA,” try out EasyBib.com’s reference generator. It’s fast, easy, and allows you to focus on your writing and research, and less on your references. The best part? It creates both types of references. It has an in-text citation website APA generator and also a full reference generator! What are you waiting for? Go see the magic happen!

Here’s a quick video overview of how to cite a website in APA:

Solution #1: Determining the website company, the author, the publisher, or both (APA)

A website citation included in an APA-format bibliography doesn’t need a publisher, so you do not need to worry whether the website company is the publisher of a page you want to cite!

If an author isn’t credited on a given webpage, the website company should be listed as the author. This also goes for online encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.

Here’s an example for a full bibliography:

Roman empire. (2022, February 6). In Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire

Here is an example for an in-text citation:

(“Roman Empire,” 2022)

Solution #2: How to cite images and videos from social media in APA format

Making a bibliographic citation for a photo or video from social media is similar to making a citation for any website. Examples that fall into this category include photos, videos, or social media-specific mediums like highlights, reels, moments, or lives.

For your full citation in your bibliography, use the caption of the photo or video, up to 20 words, as the title. Denote the style of media in brackets, following the title.

For sources like Instagram Reels, Highlights, and other media whose exact date of posting is hard to discern, include the date you found and cited the photo or video rather than the original date the media was shared.

Here are examples of bibliographic citations:

World Wildlife Foundation [wwf]. (2021, October 20). This year marks our 60 years of action for people and nature. Together, we’ve done so much… [Photo]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQQbF_KmA6/

New York Times [nytimes]. (n.d.) NYC Marathon 2021 [Highlight]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17928514339867051/

Here are the corresponding in-text citations:

(World Wildlife Foundation, 2021)

(New York Times, 2021)

Solution #3: How emojis are cited in APA format

If the website or social media post you are citing contains an emoji, keep the emoji in your full bibliographic citation without altering it.

Reference list example:

Grande, A [arianagrande]. (2021, October 18) the final #voicebattles begin tonight @nbcthevoice.🧚🏼‍♂️ thank you @kchenoweth, i love you. [Photo]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLfY_vv_3c/

In-text citation example:

(Grande, 2021)

If you have trouble pasting the emoji into your full citation, put the emoji’s name followed by the word “emoji” all in brackets within your citation instead. Use Unicode’s Emoji Charts to look up the widely accepted, technical name of the emoji you want to cite.

Grande, A [arianagrande]. the final the final #voicebattles  begin tonight  @nbcthevoice . [woman fairy emoji] thank you  @kchenoweth , i love you. [Photo]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLfY_vv_3c/

This guide is not officially associated with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, but it does provide information in line with the manual. 

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Multiple Authors
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Reference Page
  • Sample Paper
  • APA 7 Updates
  • View APA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all APA Examples

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You will need the webpage’s author’s name, publication date, title of the page, website name, and the URL.

Here is an example with an author:

Geggel, L. (2021, July 6). A brief history of dinosaurs . LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/3945-history-dinosaurs.html

Usually, if no author is shown the website is assumed to be the author. In these cases, the website name replaces the author name in the beginning of the reference.

For example:

National Park Service. (2018, July 23). Night skies as a cultural-historical resource . https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nightskies/cultural.htm

The URL of a website is mandatory if you cite a website or a webpage. Where you include the URL depends on the type of citation. To cite a website as a general reference without any reference to a specific page or particular details, simply add the name of the website in the text and include the URL in parentheses. There is no need to add a reference list entry. However, to cite a webpage on a website, you need to provide both an in-text citation and a reference list entry. Do not add the URL in the in-text citation. Just add the author’s name and year. The URL is given only in the reference list entry. Templates for in-text citations and reference list entries of a website or webpage along with examples are given below.

Website as a general reference

In-text style:

We took the data from the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (https://censusindia.gov.in/).

Webpage of a website

In-text citation templates and examples:

Author Surname (publication year)

Skelton (2017)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, publication year)

(Skelton, 2017)

Note that month and day are not mentioned in in-text citations.

Reference list entry template and example:

Author Surname, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Name of the Site. URL

Skelton, R. (2017, February 16). Fact check’s return perfect timing in ‘post truth’ age. ABC Opinion. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-16/fact-check-return-perfect-timing-in-post-truth-age/8277268

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How to Cite a Website in a Thesis: Step-by-Step Guide

When writing your thesis, it is crucial to properly cite any sources you have used, including websites . citing websites correctly not only ensures that you give credit to the original author but also lends credibility to your research. in this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of citing a website in your thesis..

How to Cite a Website in a Thesis: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Gather the necessary information

Before you can cite a website, you need to gather specific information about the source. The following details are essential:

  • Author’s name (if available)
  • Title of the webpage
  • Title of the website
  • Publisher or sponsor of the website
  • Date the webpage was published or last updated
  • URL (web address) of the webpage

Step 2: Choose the citation style

There are several citation styles you can use in your thesis, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Consult your university’s guidelines or your supervisor to determine which style you should follow. Each style has its specific format for citing websites, so make sure to use the correct one.

Step 3: Format the citation

Once you have the necessary information and citation style, you can format the citation. Here’s a general format for citing a website:

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Title of the Website. Publisher/Sponsor of the Website. Retrieved Date, from URL

Step 4: Examples for different citation styles

Here are example citations for common citation styles:

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Title of the Website. Retrieved Date, from URL

Example: Smith, J. (2022, January 15). The impact of climate change on biodiversity. National Geographic. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climatechange-biodiversity

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Webpage.” Title of the Website, Publisher/Sponsor of the Website, Date of Publication/Update, URL

Example: Smith, John. “The impact of climate change on biodiversity.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 15 Jan. 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climatechange-biodiversity

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Webpage.” Title of the Website. Publisher/Sponsor of the Website. Publication Month Date, Year. URL.

Example: Smith, John. “The impact of climate change on biodiversity.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society. January 15, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climatechange-biodiversity

Step 5: Proofread and double-check your citations

Before finalizing your thesis, make sure to proofread your citations and cross-check them with the original sources to ensure accuracy. Typos or incorrect formatting can undermine the credibility of your research.

Citing websites in your thesis demonstrates academic integrity and strengthens the credibility of your research. By following this step-by-step guide and using the correct citation style, you can ensure that your citations are accurate and properly formatted.

Remember to consult your university’s guidelines or supervisor to determine the specific requirements for citing websites in your thesis. Happy citing!

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From the web, unpublished (in print from a university library).

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General Rule:

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  (Publication No. #) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Name of Database.

Davis, P. M. (2010). Access, readership, citations: A randomized controlled trial of scientific journal publishing . (Publication No.   3429815 )  [Doctoral dissertation, Cornell University].  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.  

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution]. Name of Website. URL

Buckman, A. (1997). MOOSE Crossing: Construction, community, and learning in a networked virtual world for kids [Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology]. DSpace@MIT.  https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/33821

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis]. Name of Institution.

Long, R.P. (1972). A study of instructional objectives and methods for interpersonal communication. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. West Virginia University.

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  • Referencing

A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly

Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used in your writing. Including references helps you support your claims and ensures that you avoid plagiarism .

There are many referencing styles, but they usually consist of two things:

  • A citation wherever you refer to a source in your text.
  • A reference list or bibliography at the end listing full details of all your sources.

The most common method of referencing in UK universities is Harvard style , which uses author-date citations in the text. Our free Harvard Reference Generator automatically creates accurate references in this style.

Harvard referencing example
(Smith, 2013)
Smith, J. (2013) . 2nd ed. London: Penguin.

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Table of contents

Referencing styles, citing your sources with in-text citations, creating your reference list or bibliography, harvard referencing examples, frequently asked questions about referencing.

Each referencing style has different rules for presenting source information. For in-text citations, some use footnotes or endnotes , while others include the author’s surname and date of publication in brackets in the text.

The reference list or bibliography is presented differently in each style, with different rules for things like capitalisation, italics, and quotation marks in references.

Your university will usually tell you which referencing style to use; they may even have their own unique style. Always follow your university’s guidelines, and ask your tutor if you are unsure. The most common styles are summarised below.

Harvard referencing, the most commonly used style at UK universities, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical bibliography or reference list at the end.

In-text citation Sources should always be cited properly (Pears and Shields, 2019).
Reference list Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019) . 11th edn. London: MacMillan.

Harvard Referencing Guide

Vancouver referencing, used in biomedicine and other sciences, uses reference numbers in the text corresponding to a numbered reference list at the end.

In-text citation Sources should always be cited properly (1).
Reference list 1. Pears R, Shields G. Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. 11th ed. London: MacMillan; 2019.

Vancouver Referencing Guide

APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end.

In-text citation Sources should always be cited properly (Pears & Shields, 2019).
Reference list Pears, R., & Shields, G. (2019). (11th ed.). London, England: MacMillan.

APA Referencing Guide APA Reference Generator

MHRA referencing, used in the humanities, uses footnotes in the text with source information, in addition to an alphabetised bibliography at the end.

In-text citation Sources should always be cited properly.
Footnote 1. Richard Pears and Graham Shields, , 11th edn (London: MacMillan, 2019).
Bibliography Pears, Richard and Graham Shields, , 11th edn (London: MacMillan, 2019).

MHRA Referencing Guide

OSCOLA referencing, used in law, uses footnotes in the text with source information, and an alphabetical bibliography at the end in longer texts.

In-text citation Sources should always be cited properly.
Footnote 1. Richard Pears and Graham Shields, (11th edn, MacMillan 2019).
Bibliography Pears R and Shields G, (11th edn, MacMillan 2019).

OSCOLA Referencing Guide

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In-text citations should be used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source (e.g. a book, article, image, website, or video).

Quoting and paraphrasing

Quoting is when you directly copy some text from a source and enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your own writing.

Paraphrasing is when you rephrase the original source into your own words. In this case, you don’t use quotation marks, but you still need to include a citation.

In most referencing styles, page numbers are included when you’re quoting or paraphrasing a particular passage. If you are referring to the text as a whole, no page number is needed.

In-text citations

In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets.

Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ‘ et al. ‘

Number of authors Harvard in-text citation example
1 author (Jones, 2017)
2 authors (Jones and Singh, 2017)
3 authors (Jones, Singh and Smith, 2017)
4+ authors (Jones et al., 2017)

The point of these citations is to direct your reader to the alphabetised reference list, where you give full information about each source. For example, to find the source cited above, the reader would look under ‘J’ in your reference list to find the title and publication details of the source.

Placement of in-text citations

In-text citations should be placed directly after the quotation or information they refer to, usually before a comma or full stop. If a sentence is supported by multiple sources, you can combine them in one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon.

If you mention the author’s name in the text already, you don’t include it in the citation, and you can place the citation immediately after the name.

  • Another researcher warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’ (Singh, 2018, p. 13) .
  • Previous research has frequently illustrated the pitfalls of this method (Singh, 2018; Jones, 2016) .
  • Singh (2018, p. 13) warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’.

The terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Both refer to a list that contains full information on all the sources cited in your text. Sometimes ‘bibliography’ is used to mean a more extensive list, also containing sources that you consulted but did not cite in the text.

A reference list or bibliography is usually mandatory, since in-text citations typically don’t provide full source information. For styles that already include full source information in footnotes (e.g. OSCOLA and Chicago Style ), the bibliography is optional, although your university may still require you to include one.

Format of the reference list

Reference lists are usually alphabetised by authors’ last names. Each entry in the list appears on a new line, and a hanging indent is applied if an entry extends onto multiple lines.

Harvard reference list example

Different source information is included for different source types. Each style provides detailed guidelines for exactly what information should be included and how it should be presented.

Below are some examples of reference list entries for common source types in Harvard style.

  • Chapter of a book
  • Journal article
Harvard book citation
Format Author surname, initial. (Year) . City: Publisher.
Example Saunders, G. (2017) . New York: Random House.
Harvard book chapter citation
Format Author surname, initial. (Year) ‘Chapter title’, in Editor name (ed(s).) . City: Publisher, page range.
Example Berman, R. A. (2004) ‘Modernism and the bildungsroman: Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain’, in Bartram, G. (ed.) . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 77–92.
Harvard journal article citation
Format Author surname, initial. (Year) ‘Article title’, , Volume(Issue), page range.
Example Adair, W. (1989) ‘ and : Hemingway’s debt to Thomas Mann’, , 35(4), pp. 429–444.
Harvard web page citation
Format Author surname, initial. (Year) . Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example Google (2019) . Available at: https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en-US (Accessed: 2 April 2020).

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Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:

  • Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
  • MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
  • APA , used in the social sciences.
  • Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
  • OSCOLA , used in law.

Your university may have its own referencing style guide.

If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.

References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.

If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .

To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.

You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.

Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

Harvard style Vancouver style
In-text citation Each referencing style has different rules (Pears and Shields, 2019). Each referencing style has different rules (1).
Reference list Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019). . 11th edn. London: MacMillan. 1. Pears R, Shields G. Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. 11th ed. London: MacMillan; 2019.

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how to reference a website in thesis

American Psychological Association

Published Dissertation or Thesis References

This page contains reference examples for published dissertations or theses.

Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Miranda, C. (2019). Exploring the lived experiences of foster youth who obtained graduate level degrees: Self-efficacy, resilience, and the impact on identity development (Publication No. 27542827) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. PQDT Open. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/2309521814.html?FMT=AI

Zambrano-Vazquez, L. (2016). The interaction of state and trait worry on response monitoring in those with worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. UA Campus Repository. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615

  • Parenthetical citations : (Kabir, 2016; Miranda, 2019; Zambrano-Vazquez, 2016)
  • Narrative citations : Kabir (2016), Miranda (2019), and Zambrano-Vazquez (2016)
  • A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive.
  • If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the dissertation or thesis without italics.
  • Include the description “Doctoral dissertation” or “Master’s thesis” followed by a comma and the name of the institution that awarded the degree. Place this information in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title and any publication number.
  • In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the database, repository, or archive.
  • The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., “Undergraduate honors thesis”).
  • Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).
  • If the database or archive requires users to log in before they can view the dissertation or thesis, meaning the URL will not work for readers, end the reference with the database name (as in the Kabir example).

Published dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5

how to reference a website in thesis

APA 7th referencing style

  • About APA 7th
  • Printing this guide
  • In-text references
  • Direct quotations
  • Reference list
  • Author information
  • Additional referencing information
  • Using headings
  • Book chapter
  • Brochure and pamphlets
  • ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
  • Conferences
  • Dictionary or encyclopaedia
  • Government legislation
  • Journal article
  • Lecture notes and slides
  • Legal sources
  • Newspaper or magazine article
  • Other web sources
  • Patents and standards
  • Personal communication
  • Press (media) release
  • Secondary source (indirect citation)
  • Social media
  • Software and mobile apps
  • Specialised health information
  • Television program

Thesis - from website

Thesis - from database.

  • Works in non-English languages
  • Works in non-English scripts, such as Arabic or Chinese
Elements of the reference

Author - last name, initial(s). (Year). [Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, Institution]. Archive name. http://www.xxxxxx

In-text reference

(Axford, 2007)

Axford (2007) found that ....

Reference list

Axford, J.C. (2007).  [Doctoral dissertation, University of Queensland]. UQ eSpace. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:158747

EndNote reference type

Thesis

Add Archive Name to Name of Database field.

Elements of the reference

Author - last name, initials. (Year).  (Publication No. - if available) [Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, Institution]. Database Name. 

In-text reference

(Leigh, 2010)

Leigh (2010) reported that ....

Reference list

Leigh, J. (2010).  (Publication No. 305210119) [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana State University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

EndNote reference type

Thesis

Add Publication Number to Document Number field.

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how to reference a website in thesis

How to Reference in an Essay: a Quick Guide to Referencing Books, Websites, Images, PDFs and More

how to reference a website in thesis

Referencing doesn’t need to be the bane of your life when you submit assignments. 

One of the biggest shifts in studying when you head to university is the importance of referencing when you write assignments. You’re expected to show where you find the answers to your work, how you formed arguments and how you got to your conclusions. It’s also a way of showing that you have read around the subject and appreciate the context rather than just offering your own opinion. 

But why we reference is one thing. HOW you reference… well that’s a whole new chapter (no pun intended).

Nothing is ever simple right? And referencing really does love to throw a spanner in the works – different universities, and even different subjects WITHIN the same university use a variety of referencing styles. Some types of referencing works better for certain subjects than others do, so it is very dependent on what your course wants to use. 

To break it down, we’ve put together this quick reference guide to cover the basics of different styles of referencing, including websites, images, journals and books, in some of the more popular referencing styles. It’s not everything, but it’s a good starting point. Need more tips on your uni work? Check out our best revision techniques.

In this article:

How to reference a website

How to reference a book, how to reference an image, how to reference a pdf, how to reference a journal article, citation generators, what’s the most popular referencing style.

Woman sat on her laptop working surrounded by books

You might find that websites are one of the most commonly referenced sources these days, especially with how many open source publications out there now. We’ve gathered some of the most popular referencing styles to make it that little bit easier.

The difference between referencing a book and a website is that books have all the printed information you need for citations – but websites can vary. So while we’ve included examples for the different referencing styles, you may need to tweak based on the website. It’s super important to make sure you’re sourcing from a reliable source, but if you find that a website doesn’t have an author, or doesn’t have a year, then amend to suit. 

Referencing a website in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Page Title . Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Example: Bartlett, M. (2024) Freshers Guide 2024: What You Need To Know About Freshers & Student Life. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/advice/freshers-guide/ (Accessed: 11 September 2024).

Referencing a website in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Retrieved from URL 

Example: Kah-Pavlou, L. (2024). 10 Fun Alternatives To Alcohol & Drinking During Freshers’ Week. Retrieved from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/10-fun-alternatives-to-drinking-during-freshers/  

Referencing a website in OSCOLA style

Format: Author first name initial surname, ‘Entry Title’ ( Blog Name , publication date) <URL> accessed date.

Example: K Moody, ‘Best Revision Techniques’ ( Student Beans Blog, 15 February 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/the-best-revision-techniques/ > accessed 11 September 2024.

Referencing a website in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name. “Title.” Website name , URL. Accessed day month year

Example: Moody, Keith. “Using Mind Maps for Revision – The Ultimate Guide for Students.” Student Beans Blog, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/students-guide-to-creating-and-using-mind-maps-for-revision/ . 11 September 2024

Referencing a website in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. Title [Internet]. Year published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: URL

Example: Howarth, E. Your Must-Have Uni Essentials Checklist [Internet]. 2024 [cited 11 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/student-essentials-list-university-checklist/  

Referencing a website in IEEE style

Format: First initial, surname, “Page title.” Website Title. URL (accessed date, month, year).

Example: E. Howarth, “The Essential Uni Food Shopping List.” Student Beans Blog.  https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/essential-student-food-shopping-list-cheap-living/ (accessed 11 Sept, 2024).

Row of books in a library

If you prefer to study with a paper and pen, you’ll probably spend a lot of time in the library exploring textbooks and anthologies to support your assignments. It can be a little simpler to cite a book, as you’ll have all the information you need printed inside, which is a relief if you’re scrambling to find an author on a website! 

But each major referencing style has subtle differences between them, so check out how to reference books (and chapters within books) below. 

Referencing a book in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Book Title . Edition if application. Place of Publication: Publisher

Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman.

Referencing a book in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Publisher. 

Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . Longman.

Referencing a book in OSCOLA style

Format: Author surname first initial, Title (Publisher, Year).

Example: Thwaite A, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 (London, 1985).

Referencing a book in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name. Title. Publisher, Year.

Example: Thwaite, Anthony. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. Longman, 1985.

Referencing a book in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname first name initial. Title. Location of publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Thwaite A. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . London: Longman; 1985.

Referencing a book in IEEE style

Format: First initial. Surname, Title . Location of publication: Publisher, Year.

Example: A. Thwaite, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman, 1985.

If you’re an art student, you’ll be writing a lot about your inspirations, emulations, crediting artists from all over the world, present day and past. It’s probably not the most creative thing you thought you’d be doing during your time at uni – but it’s still an important part of your work.

Referencing an image in Harvard style

Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year). 

Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter (Accessed 13 September 2024). 

Referencing an image in APA style

Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. [Format]. Site or Museum, Location. URL.

Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. [Painting]. National Gallery, London. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter  

Reference an image in OSCOLA style

Format: Author/Creator, ‘Title of image’ ( Name of website, Date published) <URL> Access date

Example: Vincent Van Gogh, ‘Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter’ ( National Gallery) < https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter > Accessed 16 September 2024.

Referencing an image in MLA style

Format: Artist surname, First Name. Image Title. Year Created. Website Name, Numbers (if applicable), URL.

Example: van Gogh, Vincent. Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. 1890. National Gallery, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter . 

Woman browsing books on a shelf

So many publications, from ebooks to journals to poetry, are now available online in PDF formats. So if you struggle to get to the library, or find something in a pinch in your research, then PDFs can be a useful alternative.

Referencing a PDF in Harvard style

Format: Author(s) or Organisation (Year). Title of Document . Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].

Example: Student Beans (2024). Freshers Prediction Report 2024. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf [Accessed 16 September 2024].

Referencing a PDF in APA style

Format: Title of document . (Year). Organisation. URL

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024. (2024). Student Beans.  https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf  

Referencing a PDF in OSCALA

Format: ‘Title’ (Organisation, Publication date) <URL> accessed day month year

Example: ‘Freshers Prediction Report 2024’ (Student Beans, 15 August 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf > accessed 15 September 2024. 

Referencing a PDF in MLA

Format: Author Surname, Author Forename. Title . Publisher, Year Published. Website Name , date page was published if known, URL. PDF download.

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 . Student Beans, 2024. Student Beans , 15 August 2024, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf . PDF download.

Referencing a PDF in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Title [Internet]. City: Publisher; Year Published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: http://Website URL

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 [Internet]. London: Student Beans; 2024 [16 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf

Referencing a PDF in IEEE style

Format: “Title,” website title. URL (accessed day month year).

Example: “Freshers Prediction Report 2024,” studentbeans.com. https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf (accessed 16 Sept 2024).

Journal articles will be your bread and butter when it comes to your assignments. You’ll find so much information in journal articles, and luckily most are available online these days, so it’s one of the more simpler ways to reference.

Referencing a journal article in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). ‘Journal article title’, Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: . 

Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y., Zou, X. (2024). ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’, World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.

Referencing a journal article in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Journal article title. Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: . 

Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y. & Zou, X. (2024). Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.

Referencing a journal article using OSCALA

Format: Author first name last name, ‘Journal article title’ (Year) Vol(Issue) Journal name <URL> accessed day month year. 

Example: Xuyan Zou, Haiyan Huang, Yao Tan, ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’ (2024) 17(4) World Allergy Organization Journal < https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 > accessed 16 September 2024.

Referencing a journal article in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name, et al. “Journal article title.” Journal name, vol. X no. X, Year. doi URL.

Example: Zou, Xuyan, et al. “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study.” World Allergy Organization Journal, vol.17, no.4, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894

Referencing a journal article in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname first name initials. Journal article name. Journal name. Year;(issue). Accessed day month year. doi URL. 

Example: Zou X, Huang H, Tan Y. Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2024;(4). Accessed 16 September 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 .

Referencing a journal article in IEEE style

Format: Author first name initial., surname, “Journal article name,” Journal name, vol. X, no. X, Year. Accessed on: day month year. [Online]. Available: doi URL

Example: X. Zou, H. Huang and Y. Tan, “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study,” World Allergy Organization Journal , vol. 17, no. 4, 2024. Accessed on: Sept. 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894  

You can find lots of citation and reference generators online, and your own university will likely have a referencing guide document online or in the library in case you’re not sure. 

If you’re using an online referencing generator, it’s always a good idea to cross reference with your university guide – just in case there are any errors. Just like your university essays, proofreading is a really key part of submitting an assignment, which includes your bibliography.

Harvard referencing is one of the most popular and common referencing style in the UK as it covers a lot of different subjects at university. Different subjects tend to rely on different styles of referencing as it suits the subtle nuance between a variety of topics and requirements.

If you’re trying to get prepared for uni, then don’t miss our freshers guide and our uni essentials checklist to make sure you have everything you need. Feel ultra prepared by signing up to Student Beans for the best student discounts .

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Cite a Website

    Citing a website in APA Style. An APA reference for a webpage lists the author's last name and initials, the full date of publication, the title of the page (in italics), the website name (in plain text), and the URL.. The in-text citation lists the author's last name and the year. If it's a long page, you may include a locator to identify the quote or paraphrase (e.g. a paragraph number ...

  2. How to Cite a Website in APA Style

    Revised on September 5, 2024. APA website citations usually include the author, the publication date, the title of the page or article, the website name, and the URL. If there is no author, start the citation with the title of the article. If the page is likely to change over time, add a retrieval date. If you are citing an online version of a ...

  3. APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

    Click on the categories below to see what types of information is included for that reference component for Dissertations and Theses. Basic Format: Who = Author (When = year). What = Title. Where = Name of Institution Awarding Degree. Unpublished Dissertations and Theses

  4. How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style

    To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. (Year).

  5. Reference a Website in Harvard Style

    To reference a website in Harvard style, include the name of the author or organization, the year of publication, the title of the page, the URL, and the date on which you accessed the website. In-text citation example. (Google, 2020) Reference template. Author surname, initial. (Year) Page Title.

  6. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

    Citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database. If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It's similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences: Structure: Author's last name, F. M. (Year published).

  7. How to cite a website in APA, MLA, or Harvard style

    The manual way to cite a website. To cite a website by hand just follow the instructions below. For the 3 most popular styles-APA, MLA 8, and Harvard-this is as follows: In APA style. You need to locate these details for the website: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web ...

  8. LibGuides: Citing Your Sources in APA 7th: Websites

    References List: List multiple works by the same author in order of year of publication from earliest to latest. Usually, the year of publication will be enough to distinguish between sources. If the same author has published multiple sources within the same year, add letters to the end of the year and organize alphabetically to distinguish ...

  9. How To Cite a Website

    How to Cite a Web Page in Harvard Format. Citing a web page is very similar to citing a website except the title of the page is added in italics: Author surname(s), initial(s). (Year of publishing). Title of page [Online]. Title of site. Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year)

  10. How to Cite a Website in APA

    In an APA website citation, it is completely acceptable to use the group's name in the author position. Type it out in its entirety and add a period at the end. Check out the various APA citation of web page examples at the bottom of the page to see group authors in action!

  11. "I found it online": Citing online works in APA Style

    The term "website" can cause confusion because people use it to refer to both a reference category (see Section 10.16 in the Publication Manual and Section 10.14 in the Concise Guide) and a method of retrieval (i.e., online).. When you are citing something on a website, ensure you are thinking about its reference type and not its method of retrieval.

  12. How to Cite a Website in a Thesis: Step-by-Step Guide

    Step 1: Gather the necessary information. Before you can cite a website, you need to gather specific information about the source. The following details are essential: Author's name (if available) Title of the webpage. Title of the website. Publisher or sponsor of the website.

  13. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)

  14. Writing Website In-Text Citations and References

    Because you're citing specific information, you will need to write a regular APA Style author-date citation. Luckily, writing the in-text citation for a website or webpage is easy: Simply include the author and year of publication. The URL goes in the corresponding reference list entry (and yes, you can leave the links live).

  15. APA 7th Edition Citation Style Guide

    General Rule: Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master's thesis [Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, Name of Institution].Name of Website. URL. Example: Buckman, A. (1997). MOOSE Crossing: Construction, community, and learning in a networked virtual world for kids [Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology].

  16. How to Cite Sources

    To quote a source, copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks. To paraphrase a source, put the text into your own words. It's important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. You can use the paraphrasing tool if you don't want to do this manually.

  17. A Quick Guide to Referencing

    In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author's surname and the date of publication in brackets. Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ' et al. '.

  18. Published Dissertation or Thesis References

    A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive. If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the ...

  19. Library Guides: APA 7th referencing style: Thesis

    EndNote reference type: Thesis. Add Archive Name to Name of Database field. Thesis - from database. Elements of the reference: Author - last name, initials. (Year). Title of thesis - italicised (Publication No. - if available) [Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, Institution]. Database Name.

  20. No Author, Date, or Title in APA Style

    Webpage citations in APA Style consist of five components: author, publication date, title, website name, and URL. Unfortunately, some of these components are sometimes missing. For instance, there may be no author or publication date. This article explains how to handle different kinds and combinations of missing information.

  21. How to reference in an essay: books, websites, journals & more

    You can find lots of citation and reference generators online, and your own university will likely have a referencing guide document online or in the library in case you're not sure. If you're using an online referencing generator, it's always a good idea to cross reference with your university guide - just in case there are any errors.

  22. Cite a Thesis / Dissertation

    Thesis Paper AI Proofreader Essay Checker PhD dissertation APA editing Academic editing College admissions essay Personal statement English proofreading Spanish, French, or German. ... Improve your in-text citations and references for errors and inconsistencies using Scribbr's AI technology or human experts. Run a free check.