LEARNING MODULE IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

How to cite a website in APA Style

APA website citations usually include the author, the publication date, the title of the page or article, the
website name, and the URL. If there is no author, start the citation with the title of the article. If the page is likely to
change over time, add a retrieval date.

If you are citing an online version of a print publication (e.g. a newspaper, magazine, or dictionary), use the
same format as you would for print, with a URL added at the end. Formats differ for online videos (e.g. TED Talks),
images, and dissertations.

Citing an entire website

When you refer to a website in your text without quoting or paraphrasing from a specific part of it, you don’t
need a formal citation. Instead, you can just include the URL in parentheses after the name of the site:

One of the most popular social media sites, Instagram (http://instagram.com), allows users to share images and videos.

For this kind of citation, you don’t need to include the website on the reference page. However, if you’re citing
a specific page or article from a website, you will need a formal in-text citation and reference list entry.

How to cite online articles

Various kinds of articles appear online, and how you cite them depends on where the article appears.

Online articles from newspapers, magazines, and blogs

Articles appearing in online versions of print publications (e.g. newspapers and magazines) are cited like their
print versions, but with an added URL. Give the homepage URL instead of the specific article, as the latter is more
likely to change over time.

Format Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Publication Name. URL
Greenhouse, S. (2020, July 30). The coronavirus pandemic has intensified
systemic economic racism against black Americans. The New Yorker.
Reference Entry
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-pandemic-has-intensified-
systemic-economic-racism-against-black-americans
In – text citation (Greenhouse, 2020)

The same format is used for blog posts. Just include the blog name where you would usually put the name of the
magazine or newspaper.

Format Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Blog Name. URL
Lee, C. (2020, February 19). A tale of two reference formats. APA Style Blog.
Reference Entry
https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/two-reference-formats
In – text citation (Lee, 2020)

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Articles from online-only news sites

For articles from news sites without print equivalents (e.g. BBC News, Reuters), italicize the name of the article and
not the name of the site.

Format Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Site Name. URL
Rowlatt, J. (2020, October 19). Could cold water hold a clue to a dementia cure?
Reference Entry
BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54531075
In – text citation (Rowlatt, 2020)

Websites with no author

When a web page does not list an individual author, it can usually be attributed to an organization. If this results in the
author name being identical to the site name, omit the site name, as in the example below.

Format Organization Name. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL
Scribbr. (n.d.). Academic proofreading & editing service.
Reference Entry
https://www.scribbr.com/proofreading-editing/
In – text citation (Scribbr, n.d.)

If you can’t identify any author at all, replace the author name with the title of the page or article.

In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it is in plain text in the reference list, or in italics if it is in italics in
the reference list. Note that title case is used for the title here, unlike in the reference list. Shorten the title to the first
few words if necessary.

Format Page title. (Year, Month Day). Site Name. URL

The countdown: A prophecy, crowds and a TikTok takedown. (2020, October
Reference Entry
19). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54596667
In – text citation (The Countdown, 2019)

Websites with no date

When a web page or article does not list a publication or revision date, replace the date with “n.d.” (“no date”) in all
citations.

If an online source is likely to change over time, it is recommended to include the date on which you accessed it.

Last name, Initials. (n.d.). Page title. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year,
Format
from URL
University of Amsterdam. (n.d.). About the UvA. Retrieved October 19, 2020,
Reference Entry from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-
university.html
In – text citation (University of Amsterdam, n.d.)

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How to cite from social media

As social media posts are usually untitled, use the first 20 words of the post, in italics, as a title. Also include any
relevant information about the type of post and any multimedia aspects (e.g. videos, images, sound, links) in square
brackets.

Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of post [Description of multimedia
Format
aspects] [Type of post]. Site Name. URL
American Psychological Association. (2020, October 14). When adjusted for inflation, the
largest median salary increase between 2014 and 2018 was for psychology doctorate
Reference Entry
recipients who expected [Link with thumbnail attached] [Status update].
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPsychologicalAssociation/posts/10158794205682579
In – text citation (American Psychological Association, 2020)

On some social media sites (such as Twitter), users go by usernames instead of or in addition to their real names.
Where the author’s real name is known, include it, along with their username in square brackets:

Obama, B. [@BarackObama]. This Labor Day, let’s thank all those who’ve kept our country going this
year—nurses, teachers, delivery drivers, food service [Tweet]. Twitter.
https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1303015313320050688

In some cases, you’ll want to cite a whole social media profile instead of a specific post. In these cases, include an
access date, because a profile will obviously change over time:

Dorsey, J. [@jack]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved November 14, 2019, from
https://twitter.com/jack

REFERENCE

Caulfield, J. (2021, February 01). How to Cite a Website in APA Style: Format & Examples. Retrieved
February 02, 2021, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/website/

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