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Citation Guides

Guides on everything related to citing sources: MLA and APA style, citing websites, and avoiding plagiarism.

MLA Websites

General rules:
  • Copy and paste URLs for accuracy, but remove the initial "http(s)://".
  • If a URL is longer than 3 full lines, or is longer than the rest of the citation, shorten it, usually to the home page or search page. 
  • Do not force a line break in a URL by introducing a hyphen or a space. It's okay to have uneven line breaks. The accuracy of the URL is the most important consideration.
  • Find the publisher's name at the very bottom of the webpage, after the © symbol.
  • Do not include the publisher name if it is the same as the title of the website.
  • Access date is only used if there is no publication/posting date, or if you suspect content has been changed or removed.
Basic format

Author. "Title of Page or Article." Title of Website, Publisher of website, Date published, URL. 

Examples:

Lohr, Kathy. “Controversy Swirls around Harsh Anti-Obesity Ads.” All Things Considered, NPR, 9 Jan. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/01/09/144799538/ controversy-swirls-around-harsh-anti-obesity-ads. 

Lambert, Verity. “Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” Gallifrayan Compendium, 4 July 2017, www.tombakerltd.edu/timevehicle. 

Web page, no date, with access date:

“Don’t Just Manage Your Money, Own It!” Feed the Pig, American Institute of CPA, www.feedthepig.org/manage-yourmoney#.WMLUKvKs6Rg. Accessed 10 Aug. 2019.

Web page, no author:

“Gout and Diabetes.” WebMD, 10 Nov. 2017, www.webmd.com/arthritis/gout-diabetes-connection#1. Accessed 25 Nov. 2017.

Web page, government author:

United States Census Bureau. "Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020." United State Census Bureau, Sept. 2021, www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/income-poverty/p60-273.html.

Congress, Public Law:

United States, Congress. Public Law 111-122. United States Statutes at Large, vol. 123, 2009, pp. 3480-82. U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-123/pdf/STATUTE-123.pdf.


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