REFERENCING INTERNET
WEBSITES (MLA)
Hello.
I am a tarantula.
I make beautiful
webs & I never bite
unless you step
on me.
Today we are
going to learn
how to write
MLA style references
or citations for
websites.
MLA means Modern
Language
Association.
HCT students use the
referencing format
from MLA.
An online tool
to format references
(so you don’t have to)
is NoodleTools
from HCT Databases
library.hct.ac.ae
Click Resources
then Databases.
Or, go to
www.easybib.com
But, it is
always a good idea
to learn how to write
the references
yourself.
Because,
someday the
Internet might be
down or your
computer may
crash.
There are
2 kinds of websites
you will write
references for.
Today we will
talk about only
websites from
the Internet.
1. Websites
directly from
the Internet.
2. Websites
from HCT
databases.
Some web pages
have a great
feature called
“Cite this page.”
Always look carefully
for this feature is; it
will save you a lot of
work. Copy and paste
into your document.
For example,
Wikipedia has
this feature.
On the left, under
Toolbox, link to
“Cite this page.”
Scroll down to
MLA style.
Copy and paste
into your
document.
Note : Because Wikipedia
is not written by only one
person there is no author in a
Wikipedia citation.
What about
Internet websites
with no
“Cite this page”
feature?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You need the
following
information in
this order :
Author (Last name, first name, initial).
“Title of the page or article.”
Name of the website.
Date page was published or updated.
Publisher or owner of website.
Date you found the page
<URL>
If no author is noted,
start with the title of
the article or webpage.
Think carefully about these 3 things
1. The title of the article or page
2. The title of the entire website
3. The publisher of the website
Do not confuse them.
Sometimes the
publisher’s name is the
same as the title but
not always. Do not
write the publisher if it
is the same as the title.
Let’s write a citation for
this webpage. There is
no author noted, so we
begin with the title of
the page.
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ae.html
Here is how
you format the
webpage title.
“United Arab Emirates.”
Dot inside
quotation mark
Quotation
mark
Capital letters
& punctuation
same as
original
Quotation
mark.
Space
Next is the name of
the entire website.
The World Factbook.
Underline
Note : It is also
correct to use italic
letters instead of
the underline.
Keep the
same capital
letters as the
original
Dot.
Space.
Next add the
date the website was
published.
This date is usually at the
bottom. It may say, “Last
updated…”
23 Oct. 2008.
Date.
Space
Month, sometimes
abbreviated with a
dot. Space.
Dot.
Space.
Year
For
some months, write
an abbreviation
instead of the full
word.
Use a dot
after
abbreviations.
Jan. = January
Feb. = February
Mar. = March
Apr. = April
May = May
June = June
July = July
Aug.= August
Sept.= September
Oct. = October
Nov.= November
Dec.= December
Good websites
always show a last
updating date.
In fact, this is one way
you can know if a
website has accurate
information.
But, if you
do not see this
date anywhere on a
page, write n.d.
which means
“Not dated.”
Next is the
owner or publisher of the
website; this may be a
company, a university or
a government agency.
Central Intelligence Agency.
No underline.
No quotation
marks.
Dot.
Space.
Keep the same
capital letters
as the original.
Now, put the
date that you found or
accessed the webpage.
Format the same as the
webpage date except there is
no dot after the year.
3 Nov. 2008
Date.
Space.
Month,
sometimes
abbreviated
with a dot.
Space.
Space.
No dot.
Year
Last, put the URL.
<www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworld-factbook/geos/ae.html>.
Angle
bracket
Angle
bracket
Exact URL
Dot
This webpage
did not have an author.
Here is how you format
the author’s name if
there is one.
McKinney, Amrita Z.
Middle initial
(if included).
Dot. Space
Family name
Comma,
space
First name,
space. Dot
if no initial.
Here is the complete
citation for an
Internet website.
“United Arab Emirates." The World Factbook. 23 Oct. 2008. Central
Intelligence Agency. 3 Nov. 2008 <www.cia.gov/library/publications/
the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html>.
Indent 5 spaces or tab over
after the first line. Double
space between every line.
Just a few more things
you need to know.
When you write your list :
• Do not number your references or use bullets.
• Use alphabetical order.
• Left justify the first line & indent all other lines.
• Double space between every line in a reference
and between each reference.
Here is an example of a
reference list : no numbers or
bullets for entries, alphabetical
order, first line left justified,
other lines indented and
double spacing.
“Bahrain.” The World Factbook. 23 Oct. 2008. Central Intelligence Agency. 3 Nov. 2008
<www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html>.
“Oman.” The World Factbook. 23 Oct. 2008. Central Intelligence Agency. 3 Nov. 2008
<www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html>.
“United Arab Emirates." The World Factbook. 23 Oct. 2008. Central Intelligence Agency. 3 Nov. 2008
<www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html>.
I hope
this helps you
understand how to
write references for
websites.
If you have any
format questions :
www.mla.org/style/styl
e_faq/style_faq4
And, remember
www.easybib.com
Another
great website for
format questions :
library.hct.ac.ae/screens/
cite.html
This is the
Official HCT
Webpage about
citing sources.
Thank you
for listening.
HAPPY
WRITING !