Citing a web page within text in an APA report or essay can be confusing, especially if you're not sure what information to include. There are different guidelines depending on whether you know the date of publication and the author, or if you do not have this information. In either case, even if you don't know when or who wrote it, you can create the quote by following a few simple steps
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Cite a web page with date and author
Step 1. Put the information in parentheses at the end of the quote
The first step to referencing within the text is to place the pertinent information in parentheses. According to APA rules, it must go to the end of the sentence or phrase where your quote is located.
For example, you could write the following: "The infant mortality rate in the United States is increasing (Healey, 2001)."
Step 2. Enter the author's last name
Look for the last name of the author of the web page that you are going to take as a reference. You may find it at the top or bottom of the page or article you are going to use. Make sure to put it in the first place in the parentheses.
For example, you could write the following: "The infant mortality rate in the United States is increasing (Johnson)." or "The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall)."
Step 3. Enter the publication date of the content you are going to cite
Check the header or footer to see if a publish or update date was included. Some scholarly Internet articles write the date after the author's name. Remember that you must separate the name and the date with a comma.
For example, you could write the following: "The infant mortality rate in the United States is increasing (Johnson, 2002)." or "The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall, 2017)."
Step 4. End the sentence with a period after the closing parenthesis
In this way, you will correctly complete the sentence where the quote is located.
For example, you could write the following: "The infant mortality rate in the United States is increasing (Johnson, 2002)."
Method 2 of 3: Cite a web page without an author
Step 1. Put the data in parentheses at the end of the quoted sentence
The first thing you should do after writing the quote is open parentheses. In this way, the reader will understand that it is a verbatim quote. According to APA standards, this information must always appear last.
For example, you could write the following: "Schools can help prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Frank, 1999)."
Step 2. Enter the title of the web page
If you can't find an author for the page, use the title instead. If you are going to cite an article from this source, use the title of the article.
For example, you could write the following: "The human brain remains a mystery to scientists (Neurology)." o "Schools can help prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Bullying Prevention)."
Step 3. Take into account the publication date of the website
Look for the date at the top or bottom. It may appear as a copyright date or as the update date. In some cases, the publication date appears below the title of the articles. Remember that you must separate the title and the date with a comma.
For example, you could write the following: "The human brain remains a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016)." o "Schools can help prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Prevention of bullying, 2015)."
Step 4. Place a period after the closing parenthesis
Complete the sentence with a period.
For example, you could write the following: "The human brain remains a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016)."
Method 3 of 3: Cite an undated web page
Step 1. Put the information in parentheses at the end of the quote
The first thing you should do is write an opening parenthesis right after the sentence. According to APA standards, the reference data always goes to the end of the sentence in question.
For example, you could write the following: "Women's reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Rona)."
Step 2. Enter the title or author of the web page
Write the author's last name, if the information is available, or the title of the page. If you are going to work with a particular article, use the title of the article.
For example, you could write the following: "Women's reproductive rights are under attack in America (Dionne)." or "The human brain remains a mystery to scientists (Neurology)."
Step 3. Use an abbreviation to indicate that there is no date
The initials "s.f." (no date) should be placed after the title or author of the page. This way, readers will know that there is no publication date for your reference. Separate the name and abbreviation with a comma.
For example, you could write the following: "Women's reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Dionne, n.d.)."
Step 4. Complete the quote with a period after the closing parenthesis
This will serve to close the sentence.