Russell Burke
One of the most common reasons that students say that they end up plagiarizing from web pages and other electronic resources is that they do not know how to cite them properly in their school papers. Here's the answer to that problem.
<The following is modified extensively from Nancy Crane 1997. [Online]. Available: http://www.uvm.edu/~ncrane/estyles/apa.html [2000, August 31].>
In The Text of Your Paper
All reliable electronic resources have an author's name or organization name displayed. Always use individual author's names where these are available. Web pages most often have these at the bottom with the most recent date of revision. If you use an organization name as the author, when you cite it in your text you should use the acronym, i.e., ACS for American Cancer Society.
Example, from web page written by an individual: A line in your paper might read like: "In fact, green tea consumed at the rate of three cups per day actually can reduce the risk of skin cancer (Jones 2000)." Of course be sure to describe this source of information fully in your literature cited section (see how below).
Example, from web page written by an organization: A line in your paper might read like: "In fact, green tea consumed at the rate of three cups per day actually can reduce the risk of skin cancer (ACS 2000)." Of course be sure to describe this source of information fully in your literature cited section (see how below).
Example, from web page without an obvious author or organization: A line in your paper might read like: "In fact, green tea consumed at the rate of three cups per day actually can reduce the risk of skin cancer (Anonymous 2000)." Of course be sure to describe this source of information fully in your literature cited section (see how below).
Your Literature Cited Section
Web pages in your literature cited section:
Author/editor. (Year). Title (edition), [Type of medium]. Producer (optional). Available Protocol (if applicable): Site/Path/File [Access date].
Example:
Pritzker, T. J. (No date). An Early fragment from central Nepal [Online]. Available: http://www.ingress.com/~astanart/pritzker/pritzker.html [1995, June 8].
* Write "No date" when the electronic publication date is not available.
* Use the Organization's name as author when an individual author's name is not available.
* Write "Anonymous" when neither the author's name nor organization is available.
Resources such as CD/encyclopedias in your literature cited section:
Author/editor. (Year). Title (edition), [Type of medium]. Producer (optional). Available: Supplier/Database identifier or number [Access date].
Example:
Anonymous. (1992). Oxford English dictionary computer file: On compact disc (2nd ed.), [CD-ROM]. Available: Oxford UP [1995, May 27].
* Write "No date" when the electronic publication date is not available.
Online Journal Articles or Journal articles from CD's in your literature cited section:
Author. (Year). Title. Journal Title [Type of medium], volume(issue), paging or indicator of length. Available: Supplier/Database name (Database identifier or number, if available)/Item or accession number [Access date].
Author. (Year). Title. Journal Title [Type of medium], volume(issue), paging or indicator of length. Available Protocol (if applicable): Site/Path/File [Access date].
Examples:
Clark, J. K. (1993). Complications in academia: Sexual harassment and the law. Siecus Report [CD-ROM], 21(6), 6-10. Available: 1994 SIRS/SIRS 1993 School/Volume 4/Article 93A [1995, June 13].
Carriveau, K. L., Jr. (1995). [Review of the book Environmental hazards: Marine pollution]. Electronic Green Journal [Online], 2(1), 3 paragraphs. Available: gopher://gopher.uidaho.edu/11/UI_gopher/library/egj03/carriv01.html [1995, June 21].
* This is a reference for a book review; brackets indicate title is supplied.
* When citing information retrieved on the World Wide Web, it is not necessary to repeat the protocol (Gopher) after "Available" since that is stated in the URL.
Inada, K. (1995). A Buddhist response to the nature of human rights. Journal of Buddhist Ethics [Online], 2, 9 paragraphs. Available: http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/twocont.html [1995, June 21].
Newspaper Articles in your literature cited section:
Author. (Year, month day). Title. Newspaper Title [Type of medium], paging or indicator of length. Available: Supplier/Database name (Database identifier or number, if available)/Item or accession number [Access date].
Author. (Year, month day). Title. Newspaper Title [Type of medium], paging or indicator of length. Available Protocol (if applicable): Site/Path/File [Access date].
Examples:
Howell, V., & Carlton, B. (1993, August 29). Growing up tough: New generation fights for its life: Inner-city youths live by rule of vengeance. Birmingham News [CD-ROM], p. 1A(10 pp.). Available: 1994 SIRS/SIRS 1993 Youth/Volume 4/Article 56A [1995, July 16].
Johnson, T. (1994, December 5). Indigenous people are now more combative, organized. Miami Herald [Online], p. 29SA (22 paragraphs). Available: gopher://summit.fiu.edu/Miami Herald--Summit-Related Articles/12/05/95--Indigenous People Now More Combative, Organized [1995, July 16].
* This reference gives beginning page and the number of paragraphs; this information is useful if one wishes to refer to material in text references.
* When citing information retrieved on the World Wide Web, it is not necessary to repeat the protocol (HTTP) after "Available" since that is stated in the URL.