CITING INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC SOURCES:
Last Update: 03/23/05
Steven W. Burks, sburks@smcvt.edu
Reference/Instruction Librarian
(Library & Information Services)
St. Michael's College,    Colchester, VT 05439

• Major Distinctions Between Citing Electronic and Print Sources
• Basic Elements in Citing Electronic Sources
• [MLA] Example Citations  / (Parenthetical reference)
• [APA] Example Citations / (Parenthetical reference)
• Other Citation Guides Online

Major Distinctions Between Citing Electronic and Print Sources

The major distinctions between citing electronic sources (including Internet, CD-ROM, Online, etc.), and citing print sources are HOW and WHEN the material is ACCESSED.

The print version of a source is often seen as the "official" source. An Internet version of the print source may not include the pictures, graphs, or the advertising included on the print version pages. In some cases the online source may be more authoritative or current than the print version. Also, how the material is transcribed, if it's scanned, if it is modified in any way, or if it is created only in an "Online" version is difficult to determine for electronic sources. So HOW the document is ACCESSED is an important part of citing electronic sources. It determines a certain credibility about the source.

WHEN a document is ACCESSED is another important part of the citation. Even though documents may disappear on the Internet or change URL addresses, one may establish the date the "virtual information" was accessed. Often this may be the only "date" in an electronic citation because information is not provided that documents when it was published or created. To establish authenticity that the material ever existed, in a particular form or "edition," one must give the date the material was accessed

Basic Elements in Citing Electronic Sources:

Author [if known] Corporate Author or Provenance may apply.

Title of the part of the work, if relevant.

Title of the work

Date work was created or published [Where in citation depends on if you use MLA, APA, or other citation style]

Pages [The pages from the printed version if given]

Media Type [Online, CD-ROM, Laser Disc, 3.5 Disc, Videocassette, Cassette Tape, etc.]

Availability [URL (identifies protocol and path, SMC Computer Network, other]

Access Date 

Many Internet sites will not provide you with the basic information for a citation. You should consult with your professor or a librarian to decide whether you want to use a source if it can not be cited adequately.

MLA Example Citations

The following citations use guidelines from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition and http://www.mla.org/style . All students should inquire from their instructors as to the citing guidelines used for their specific courses. Note: MLA requires angle brackets be placed around URLs.  See http://www.mla.org/publications/style/style_faq/style_faq5 for explanation.

Parenthetical Citation in Text [MLA]  - when there is no pagination within an electronic document, count the paragraphs within the document.

"Lake Champlain's ecosystem is under enormous pressure from urban growth" (Cushman, par.3).

Cohen noted that eating disorders are common place in America (par. 7).

APA Example Citation Style

The following citations are examples using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition and Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association @ http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html   All students should inquire from their instructors as to the citing guidelines used for their specific courses. 

According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Internet articles based on print sources, particularly in pdf format, are unlikely to change.  Cite these articles as print sources.  Add [Electronic version] in brackets after the article title in a citation if only viewed electronically (page 271).

Note on indentation: According to the APA,  "For papers or manuscripts, either a regular paragraph indent or a hanging indent is appropriate for references, as long as the format is consistent throughout."

Parenthetical Citation in Text [APA]  - when there is no pagination within an electronic document, count the paragraphs within the document.

"Lake Champlain's ecosystem is under enormous pressure from urban growth" (Cushman, 1997, para. 3).

Cohen noted that eating disorders are common place in America (1997, para. 7).

Other Citation Guides ONLINE:

Subject Guide to Electronic Resources: Citation Guides
http://www2.smcvt.edu/library/ready_reference/index.htm#Citation_Guides

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