The APA citation style is the most popular formatting method for academic papers. It is used in a variety of subjects like psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, business, chemistry, communication and media studies, criminology, economics, education, forestry, linguistics, nursing, science, social science, etc. However, citing in APA format is not easy, especially. If you want to know how to cite websites in APA format, then read this blog. Here, we have shared the 7th edition of the APA citation rules for all types of websites.
What is APA Citation Style?
APA is a citation style designed by the American Psychology Association. It was primarily designed for use in psychology, but all social and behavioral science subjects employ it for formatting, citing, and referencing external sources of information. APA focuses on using author and date methods for citations. It means that APA notes the last name of the author and the year of publication when inserting citations in the actual body of the text.
Importance of Citation
There are several reasons for which you must cite sources in your research paper. It helps in the following ways:
- Shows your reader that you have conducted appropriate research by listing out the sources you employed to get information.
- Helps you become a responsible scholar by paying due credit to other researchers and recognizing their ideas.
- Avoid getting your paper tagged as plagiarized by quoting texts and ideas that you have borrowed from other authors.
- Allow readers to locate the sources you have used by referencing them accurately in the reference list.
Know How to Cite an Entire Website in APA
In this section, we will explain to you how to cite websites in APA.
When you do not quote or paraphrase a specific part of a website but refer to it in your academic paper, there is no need to cite the website. Additionally, formally referencing the source on the reference page is also redundant. Instead, you may include the website URL in parentheses after you write the name of the website.
Example: One of the most famous social media websites, Facebook (http://facebook.com), permits users to share their thoughts through words, images, and videos.
However, if you want to cite a specific page of the website, its article, or chunks of the paragraphs of the content shared on the website, a formal in-text citation and a complete entry in the reference list are a must.
Citing Websites in APA that have a Complete Date Published by One Author
Stick to the structure below to develop citations and references:
Structure of the in-text citation
Parenthetical: (Last name of the author, year of publication)
Narrative: Last name of the author (year of publication)
Example:
Parenthetical: (Evans, 2022)
Narrative: Evans (2022)
Structure of the reference entry
Last name of the author, Initial of the author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage content. Name of the publisher.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B. (2022, April 10). Sharks are likely affected by the Great Pacific trash patch. The Ocean Clearout.
Citing Websites in APA that have a Complete Date Published by Two Authors
Find here, how to cite websites that were published by two authors in APA.
Structure of the in-text citation
Also read: Know How to Cite A Thesis Or Dissertation In APA Format with Examples
Parenthetical: (Last name of the 1st author & last name of the 2nd author, year of publication)
Narrative: Last name of the 1st author and 2nd author (year of publication)
Example:
Parenthetical: (Evans & Wilson, 2022)
Narrative: Evans and Wilson (2022)
Structure of the reference entry
Last name of the 1st author, Initial of the 1st author’s first name., & last name of the 2nd author, and initial of the 2nd author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage content. Name of the publisher.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B., & Wilson, C. (2022, April 10). Sharks are likely affected by the Great Pacific trash patch. The Ocean Clearout.
Citing Websites in APA that have a Complete Date Published by More than 3 Authors
Here are the APA citation guidelines for citing websites developed by three or more authors:
Structure of the in-text citation
Parenthetical: (Last name of the author et al., year of publication)
Narrative: Last name of the author et al. (year of publication)
Structure of the reference entry
Last name of the 1st author, Initial of the 1st author’s first name., last name of the 2nd author, and initial of the 2nd author’s first name., Last name of the 3rd author and initial of the 3rd author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage content. Name of the publisher.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B., Wilson, C., Slat, D. (2022, April 10). Sharks are likely affected by the Great Pacific trash patch. The Ocean Clearout.
Citing Websites in APA that have a Complete Date Published by an Organization
Here are the structures and examples of developing citations and references for websites published by organizations:
Structure of the in-text citation
Parenthetical: (Name of the organization, year of publication)
Narrative: Name of the organization (year of publication)
Structure of the reference entry
Name of the publisher or organization. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage content.URL of the website.
Example:
The Ocean Clearout. (2022, April 10). Sharks are likely affected by the Great Pacific trash patch.
Citing Websites in APA that have a Complete Date Published by an Unknown Author
Here is the structure and example of a website developed by an unknown author:
Structure of the in-text citation
Also read: Learn How To Cite A Brochure In APA Format
Parenthetical: (First word of the webpage content title, year of publication)
Narrative: The first word of the webpage content title (Year of publication)
Structure of the reference entry
Title of the webpage content. (Year, month, day of publication). Name of the publisher.URL of the website.
Example:
Sharks are likely affected by the Great Pacific trash patch. (2022, April 10).
Know How to Cite Webpage Articles
Various types of articles are published online. How you cite the website articles depends on where they appear online. For example, website articles are typically available in the following ways:
- Online portals of newspapers, magazines, and blogs
- Online-only news websites
- Government portals
- Social media
Citing Websites in APA Online Articles
Online articles that are also available in printed formats, like newspapers and magazines, are cited in the same way as the printed versions. However, only the URL of the online source is added to it.
Structure of an In-Text Citation of an Online Newspaper and Magazine
Parenthetical: (Last name of the author, year of publication)
Example: (Evans, 2022)
Structure of a Reference for an Online Newspaper and Magazine
Last name of the author, Initial of the author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the article. Name of the newspaper/magazine.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B. (2022, April 10). The Coronavirus pandemic has increased organized financial racism against black Americans. The California Times.
How to Cite Websites in APA – Blogs
The method of citing online blogs is quite similar to that of citing online magazines and newspapers. But there is a difference. In blogs, you add the name of the blog to the magazine’s newspaper’s name. Here are the details:
Structure Of An In-Text Citation Of An Online Newspaper And Magazine
Parenthetical: (Last name of the author, year of publication)
Example: (Evans, 2022)
Structure of a Reference for an Online Newspaper and Magazine
Last name of the author, Initial of the author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the article. Name of the blog.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B. (2022, April 10). How to cite websites in APA. APA referencing style blogs. https://APA.referencingstyle.blogs.org/ blog/cite-websites-in-APA
How To Cite Websites In APA: Online News Only Websites
Few news portals broadcast news only online. It means that these news portals do not have a printed counterpart. Popular examples of these websites include Reuters, BBC News, etc. To cite these websites, write the reference list in the same way as you have done with other online websites. However, instead of writing the name of the website in italics, italicize the name of the article. Nonetheless, write the in-text citation in the same way.
Structure Of An In-Text Citation Of An Online News-Only Website
Parenthetical: (Last name of the author, year of publication)
Example: (Evans, 2022)
Structure Of A Reference for An Online News-Only Website
Last name of the author, Initial of the author’s first name. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the article. Name of the website.URL of the website.
Example:
Evans, B. (2022, April 10). The Coronavirus pandemic has intensified organized financial racism against black Americans. The Latest Newz.
How To Cite Websites In APA Style: Government Websites
Typically, government websites have no author. In that case, to develop the in-text citation, write the name of the government organization in the way it appears on the website. For the reference entry, omit the name of the author and develop it in the following way:
Structure of an In-Text Citation Of A Government Website
Parenthetical: (Name of the government organization, year of publication)
Example: (Bls.gov, 2022)
Structure Of A Reference to A Government Website
Name of the organization. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage. Name of the website.URL of the website.
Example:
Bls.gov. (n.d.). Payroll employment increased by 209,000 in June; the unemployment rate changed a little at 3.6%. bls.gov. https:// https://www.bls.gov/
How To Cite Websites In APA Style: No Date
Sometimes website pages or articles do not include any date of publication or date on which the webpage has been updated or revised. In that case, replace the date of publication with the term “n.d.” or no date. However, if there seems to be a chance that the webpage article has changed over time, then include the date of access to the reference entry. Follow the same rule for in-text citations.
Structure Of An In-Text Citation Of A Website That Does Not State The Date Of Publication
Parenthetical: (Name of the organization, last name of the author, Initial of the first name of the author, n.d.)
Example:
Bls.gov. (n.d.)
Structure Of A Reference to A Government Website
Name of the organization. (Year, month, day of publication). Title of the webpage. Name of the website.URL of the website.
Example:
Bls.gov. (n.d.). Payroll employment increased by 209,000 in June; the unemployment rate changed a little at 3.6%. bls.gov. https:// https://www.bls.gov/.bls.gov/
How To Cite Websites In APA: Social Media Websites?
Almost all social media posts do not have a title; some do not have the social media account handler’s name. Sometimes students want to cite the entire social media profile in place of the specific post. These three cases must be dealt with separately.
When Social Media Posts Do Not Have The Title
To identify this type of post, use its first 20 words as the title of the content. Italicize it and state pertinent information about the type of content and its multimedia features in square brackets. The in-text citation rules remain similar to any information collected from a website published by an organization.
Structure of an in-text citation of a social media website
Parenthetical: (Name of the organization, year of publication)
Example: (The Latest Newz, 2022)
Structure of a reference to a government website
Name of the organization. (year, month, and day of publication). First 20 words of the social media post. [Narrative of the social media features] [Type of post] Name of the website. URL of the website.
Example:
The Latest Newz. (2022, April 10). The Coronavirus pandemic has intensified organized financial racism against black Americans. [Link with thumbnail attached] [Status update] Facebook.The Latest Newz. https://www.facebook.com/ Coronavirus-pandemic-has-intensified-organized-financial-racism-against-the black-Americans/Thelatestnewz/posts/101698745632456
- When social media websites do not have the handler’s name
Some social media websites, like Twitter, use the username of the account handler in place of the original name of the user. In cases where you cannot find the real name of the user, mention the username in square brackets.
Example
Alsion, B. [@AlisonBianca]. (2021, September 7). This Labor Day, let’s be grateful to all those who’ve kept our nation going this year—doctors, professors, delivery drivers, food delivery boys [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/AlisoonBianca/status/1202015212220050688
- To cite the entire social media profile
Sometimes you may want to cite the entire social media account instead of the specific post shared by the individual. In that case, you need to incorporate the date of access since a profile is bound to change over time.
Example
Alsion, B. [@AlisonBianca]. (n.d.) Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved September 7, 2021, from http://twitter.com/bianca
Conclusion
The discussion above highlights how to cite a website in APA format. It is evident that different types of websites have different citations, and the citation also changes with the number of authors or publishers of the document. If you need more information on APA citations or need help developing APA citations, connect with our citation helpers. They can help you too. Just share your issues and stop worrying. Our experts will take care of all your requirements
