Referencing - Websites & Webpages

Websites & webpages

  • - Not all internet sources have title and year, author or pages - these elements can be difficult to find. In general, include the same elements, in the same order, as you would for a reference to a fixed-media source, and add as much information as needed for others to locate the sources you cited.
  • - Include the name of the website or organisation that hosts a source in the reference.
  • - Use the home page URL to avoid more specific addresses which may change, except when citing articles from sites such as media sites or government agencies, from which specific articles may be hard to locate.
  • - The date an electronic resource was retrieved is only needed if the content you are citing is likely to be changed or updated.
  • - Specific formats can be included in brackets immediately after the title.

Example

Individual or Group Author. (Last update or copyright date; if not known, put n.d.). Title of specific document. Host website/Organisation. URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation): 

(Chandler, 2020) OR

Chandler (2020)

 

 
In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation): 
(World Health Organization, 2018) OR
World Health Organization (2018)
 

Include page numbers or paragraphs where possible.

Individual author example:

Chandler, N. (2020, April 9). What’s the difference between Sasquatch and Bigfoot? howstuffworks. https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/sasquatch-bigfoot-difference.htm? 

 

Organisational group author example:

World Health Organization. (2018, May 24). The top 10 causes of death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death 

 

 

For further information see:

No date

  • - If no date is given, put n.d. in parentheses.

Example

Author. (n.d.). Title of specific document. URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation): 

(Australian Sports Commission, n.d.) 

Australian Sports Commission (n.d.) 

 Example

Australian Sports Commission (n.d.). Australian Institute of Sport. https://www.ais.gov.au/  

No author

  • - Where no author is provided in a Webpage or Website, begin the reference with the name of the organisation (in which case the organisation is the author). If there is no author or organisation, begin the reference with the title of the page.

Example

Title of page. (Publication date). URL web address.

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation):  

(World Health Organization, 2022) 

World Health Organization (2022)

 
 

 

 Example:

World Health Organization. (2022). South-East                                                       Asia. https://www.who.int/southeastasia

 

   

Blog posts

  • - Use the screen name for the author of a post if the author has adopted one.
  • - If you are citing a reply or a comment made to the original post, write "Comment on the blog post" in square brackets.
  • - The name of the blog itself is not part of the reference, although you can often see it in the URL. The title is not italicised.

 

Example

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name {as it appears on the blog}. (Year, Month Day {of post}). Title of specific post. URL of specific post

In text example

 Reference list example

In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation):

(Oullette, 2019) OR
Oullette (2019)

 

 
 
In-text citation (paraphrase or direct quotation):
(Worthington, 2019) OR
Worthington (2019)
 
 

Blog post

Ouellette, J. (2019, November 15). Physicists capture first footage of quantum knots unraveling in superfluid. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/11/study-you-can-tie-a-quantum-knot-in-a-superfluid-but-it-will-soon-untie-itself/

 

Comment on a blog post

Worthington, T. (2019, August 19). The positive aspect of AI in education is that it will force us to be more transparent in what we do, and challenge our own assumptions and biases. [Comment on the blog post “Artificial intelligence in Schools: An ethical storm is brewing”]. EduResearch Matters. https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=4325