If you are going to write an article or do a project where you must include quotes, it is very important that you find the author of the website. However, many times this information is not so easy to find out. Especially if the website you are looking for does not have an article-based format. There are several places where you can try to find the author, but if you can't find him, you can still cite the website.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Finding the Author of a Website
Step 1. Look at the top and bottom of the article
Many websites that hire writers and copywriters generally display the author's name at the top or bottom of an article. This is the first place you should look for the author.
Step 2. Find out the copyright information for the website
Some websites display the author along with the copyright information at the bottom of the page. It may be the company that owns these rights rather than the author himself.
Step 3. Find the "Contact Us" or "About" page
If the specific page you are on has no author but is from a reputable website, it is likely that the article was written under the permission of the company or agency that runs the site. This can serve as the author if you can't find a name.
Step 4. Ask the site owners
If you can find the website's contact information, you can try emailing them and asking who the author of a particular page or article is. It is not guaranteed that you will receive a response, but it would be good if you gave it a try.
Step 5. Google a portion of the text to find the original author
If you found the article on an unethical website, you may be looking at information copied from another source. Copy and paste a paragraph of text into the Google search engine to see if you can find the original author.
Step 6. Use WHOIS to find the owner of the website
WHOIS is a database where websites are registered. You can use it to try to track down the owner of the website. It doesn't always work, as sometimes the owner is not the author, and many owners and businesses use privacy services to hide certain information.
- Go to whois.icann.org and enter the site's URL in the search field.
- Look for the information next to "Registrant Contact" to find out who registered the domain. If the registration information is blocked, you can also try to contact the owner using the proxy email.
Part 2 of 2: Citing a website without knowing the author
Step 1. Find the title of the page or article
To be able to cite a site from which you obtained information, you will need to know the title of the article or page. Even if it is a blog post, you will need the title.
Step 2. Get the name of the website
In addition to the title of the article, you will need the name of the site. For example, this article is called "How to find the author of a website" and the name of the website is "wikiHow".
Step 3. Try to find the publisher
The publisher is the company, organization or person that produces or sponsors the website. It may be the same as the website title, but it is better to be safe. For example, a healthcare organization may have a separate website dedicated to cardiology topics.
Step 4. Find the publication date of the page or article
It is not always possible to find out, but it would be good if you try to find the publication date.
Step 5. Get the version number if possible (MLA)
If the article or publication has a volume or version number, be sure to annotate it for inclusion in citations (if you are using the MLA format).
Step 6. Get the URL of the article or web page (APA format and old versions of MLA)
You may need the URL of the article or website depending on the citation method you want to use and your instructor's guidelines.
The MLA7 format no longer requires the mention of website URLs. The title of the page and the site will suffice. If you are going to use the MLA format for your appointments, check with your instructor
Step 7. Get the DOI (digital object identifier) if you are going to use an academic assignment (APA)
If you are citing an academic paper online, include the DOI instead of the URL. This will ensure that the reader can find the article, even if the URL changes.
- In most publications, you can find the DOI at the top of the article. You may need to click an "Article" button or a button with the publisher's name. The full article will open with the DOI at the top.
- You can search for a DOI through the CrossRef site (crossref.org). Write the title of the article or author to find their DOI.
Step 8. Create the citations using the information you obtained
Now that you've gathered all the information you found, even if you don't have the author's name, you're ready to create the citations. Use the following formats, skipping the "Author" part if you couldn't find it:
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MLA:
Author. "Article title". Website title. Version number. Website editor, publication date. Web. Date of access.
Use "s.e." if you didn't find the publisher and "s.f." If you didn't find the publication date
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APA:
Author. Article title. (Publication date). Website title, issue number or volume, referenced pages. Obtained at.