What is a citation?
In order to know how to cite a website, you need to understand that what citation actually is. A citation is kind of a source or reference that you include in your work in form of some web links. The citation follows a particular pattern which we need to follow and there are multiple formats for it. The idea behind giving a citation is to make sure that we are using reliable sources and tell the readers about the data that we have taken from any other source. The basic parts that a citation includes are:
- Name(s) of the author.
- The title of the original work.
- Date of publication of the original work.
- The exact place where the work was published
- Volume or Issue number in case it is an article
- Page numbers
- The link to the website
Why citation is important?
Citation is important for many reasons but the foremost is in order to provide credible sources and avoid the plagiarized material. If you do not provide the sources or citations, you can have an issue regarding the copy rights and your work will be considered as a plagiarized material. It is important as it will:
- Tell the amount of research you have done before producing a piece of writing.
- Help the people to gather more information regarding the ideas that you have introduced.
- Provide more strength and accuracy to your writings.
- Also portray you as a responsible writer, who does not copy someone’s work.
When do we need to add citations?
Citation is needed when you are :
- Adding the quotations for example if you are writing the words produced by any author or inspirational figure.
- Presenting ideas already given by someone.
- Paraphrasing someone’s work.
- Influenced by someone’s work and wants to add the source of influence.
Types of citation:
1). In-text citations:
These are the citations that are given inside the body of a text. It generally includes the last name of the author and the page number that you are referring to. According to other formats, it includes the author’s last name along with the date of the publication. For example, (Anderson, 34) or (Anderson, 2004). Note that in this example parenthesis have been added on both sides, followed by a coma between the two major elements. So always use the correct structure and remember the following:
- In the event that the work you are referring to has a couple of creators, remember them for your reference inevitably. Separate two writers with an ampersand (and) in incidental references, however work out the word ‘and’ if talking about the work in-text.
- On the off chance that the work has at least 3 creators, your brief in-text reference will give just the family name of the principal creator, trailed by “et al.” (which signifies “and others”).
- In the event that the creator is an organization, government association, or other gathering, utilize the complete name in your reference.
2). End-text citations:
A reference list contains the data a person should have the option to distinguish and recover works referred to in a book. This data is as end-text references.
End-text references contain four components:
Creator: who is answerable for this work? A creator might be an individual; different individuals; a gathering (government office, association or establishment); or a blend of gatherings and individuals.
Date: when was the work distributed? Date of distribution can be year just; year, month and day (precise date); year and month; year and season; or a scope of dates (for example scope of years).
Title: what is the work called? There are two classes of titles: works that remain solitary (for example reports, entire books, informational indexes, website pages, and movies), and works that are essential for a more noteworthy entire (for example altered book sections, webcast and TV scenes, and diary articles).
Source: where would i be able to discover the work? This may be a distributor, a web address/URL, or both.
How to cite a website?
For citation a website, you need to follow a format according to the requirements for the work that you are doing. Each format has a slightly different format and we need to follow all the details. The two basic citation styles used are:
- Modern Language Association (MLA) (used by organizations related to Education and Psychology)
- American Psychological Association (APA) (used by people who are the part of Humanities group)
Here is an explanation for citing through each of the styles.
1). Modern Language Association (MLA):
MLA is a formatting style that was introduced in 1883 in U.S. It helps the students of specifically English Literature in citing the incredible sources. The latest version for MLA that has been recently introduced is the 8th Edition. Here are the basic that need to be followed while using MLA for citations:
1). Author’s name:
- The author’s name is written in a backward manner, having the surname as the first word. E.g John Milton will be written as Milton. J.
- In case the author’s name is not present, then write the name of the company, website or the organization.
- If there are 2 authors, then write the name of first one as described in the first step and the second one normally.
- Do not use pseudonyms.
- For including any translators or editors, their names are to be followed by “editors” or “translators”.
2). Source Title:
- It should be italicized.
- If it is not mentioned in the original source, then write a general description about it.
- You can also write it in quotation marks if the name is from a big source.
3). The Containers:
- They are also to be italicized.
- There can be more than 1 containers.
4). The contributors:
- Try to use the contributors having a relevance.
- Their names shall be preceded by the role they have performed, e.g. edited by John Addison.
5). The versions:
These are important as a single piece of writing might have been revised and changes would have been made. So, we need to add the version that we have used.
6). Publishers:
They are mostly present if we are giving a citation of any book or any big articles. If they are more than 1, then you have to separate them with a black slash (/).
7). Publication Date:
The publication date depends upon the volume or version that you are using. It may vary accordingly. You have to use the one that you are using in the source.
8). Location:
The location contains either the page number, any URL or any city where the source has been published.
Author name (s). “ Title of the source”. Title of the container, other contributions, version, publisher, publication date, location.
In-text reference:
MLA design follows the creator page technique for in-text reference. This implies the creator’s last name and the page number(s) from which the citation or reword is taken must show up in the content, and a total reference ought to show up on your Works Cited page. The creator’s name may show up either in the sentence itself or in enclosures following the citation or rework, yet the page number(s) ought to consistently show up in the brackets, not in the content of your sentence. For example, (Shakespeare , 34). For further details on MLA citation, visit How to cite a website in MLA
2). American Psychological Association (APA):
American Psychological Association is a format that was developed in 1929 and was foremost targeted at the psychology and education students. It contains five major parts:
1). Author’s name:
- For the author’s name, write the same format as MLA, by using the initials at the end and starting with the surname. They are to be seperated by a “.” For example, Micheal. A. L.
- If there are more than 1 authors, then you have to separate them by either a comma (,) or an ampersand (&).
- If there are many authors and they have similar surnames, then write them in sqaure brackets [ ].
2). Date of publication:
The publication date is an important part of this format and if it not known, then write “n.d “ in its place.
3). Title of source:
It depends upon what is being refrred, such as a book, an article or a journal.
4). Publisher and the URL:
- The publishing place must contain the city and the country’ s name.
- At the end of the source, you shall include the URL as a direct source.
Author’s surname, Initials. (Publication date). Title of source. Location of publisher: publisher. URL
The in-text references incorporate the last name of the creator and date of distribution as it were. Utilizing a model creator George Thomas, this takes the structure:
Thomas (1887) states… Or … (Thomas, 1887).
The structure of this progressions relying upon whether an immediate statement or incidental utilized:
Direct Quote: The reference must follow the statement straightforwardly and contain a page number after the date, for instance (Thomas, 1887, p.78). This standard holds for the entirety of the varieties recorded.
Incidental: The page number isn’t required.
If there are more than two authors, then separate them with “and” or “&”.
