Using Information > 5: Tips & Tools for Citations
5A: Tip: What is the Title?
Different titles can appear in various parts of the Web page, as shown in the illustration below.
The title displayed in the browser title bar is taken from the source code of the Web page (which is hidden from public view). This is the title that is indexed by Web search engines and displayed in search results.
Use the title shown in the browser title bar when creating bibliographic references. However, if the document's author forgot to include a page title in the source code, or the title shown in the title bar does not really describe the content of the page, use the title shown on the page itself.
5B: Tip: Who is the Author?
Unlike books, authorship of Web pages is not always easy to determine. The author is responsible for the intellectual content of the page. Sometimes
a statement of responsibility is provided on a particular page, or for the whole
site. Often, the organization providing the site is considered the author.
- Is there an "About this site" link? If so, this page may indicate an author or editor.
- Look for a copyright statement, often located at the bottom of the page.
- Remember that webmasters or site designers who make content available in an attractive format are not authors.
If no author can be determined, omit that element and begin your citation with the title.
5C: Tip: When was it "Published"?
Finding a publication date for Web pages can sometimes be tricky. Cite the most recent date that you can find displayed on the page.
- A revision or "last modified" date may be provided on the page.
- A copyright date may be the only date provided.
- If no date of any kind is found, you may use n.d. (stands for "no date") in the place where a publication date would be indicated in a citation.
5D: Tip: Citing the Address (URL)
- Represent it accurately, with no added punctuation or spacing. If it is necessary to divide the URL between two lines, break only after a slash mark and do not insert a hyphen at the break.
- To cite a URL accurately, click in the browser's address space (while the page is displayed there) to highlight it. Then copy and paste the URL directly into a document.
- Some databases provide a "persistent URL" that is stable and should be used to cite content whenever available. See the illustration below for an example.
- Since Web pages tend to disappear, it's always wise to print a copy of pages that you may cite, so that you can refer to them later. The printed page will include the URL.
5E: Tool: Citations Shown in Sources
In previous pages, we discussed methods for citing a variety of online sources using either APA or MLA style. In some cases, the source you are using will do some of this work for you.
Be sure to look for "how to cite this source" links as you gather information for projects. Some article databases and online journals offer this service, as shown in the illustration below from the Academic Search Complete database. When you view a record, you can click on an icon to see how this item would be cited in a bibliography using a variety of citation styles. You can then simply copy and paste the citation into your bibliography and make any needed adjustments.
5F: Tool: Web-based Citation Makers
RefWorks
Some libraries subscribe to this service. After creating an account, you can use it while searching to save references to sources. The RefGrab-It browser extension can be used to save data from Web pages. Then later you can use RefWorks to output your citations in a variety of formats and use the Write-N-Cite tool to incorporate references into your papers.
More information for Ohio State users is available at RefWorks Help
Son of Citation Machine
The Son of Citation Machine is a free online tool for creating APA, MLA and Chicago style citations. This tool can be used for citing both print and electronic sources.
After selecting the style you prefer and the type of source to cite, simply type in relevant information and press the button. Your source citation will display in the style you chose. You can then copy and paste the citation into your own document.
Activity
Look at this article from Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Olympic Games
Scroll to the end of the article and
copy/paste the MLA style citation into the box below.
[Site opens in new window.]
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