The two most popular forms of citations used
when writing papers are APA and MLA style. APA is typically used in social
science coursework such as sociology and psychology. MLA style is more popular
with English and history courses. While it can be a little difficult to
understand how to properly cite work using either of these styles, it is far
from impossible to learn. This applies to electronic sources in particular.
In terms of an online periodical, APA style
begins with the person’s name, followed by the date the publication was
published, the name of the article, title and volume number. It then shows the
day the researcher looked at the article. The following example shows how a
writer would cite an online periodical using APA style. Writers should remember
to include the full name of the website when listing it.
Author’s Last Name, Author’s Initial(s),
(Date on Periodical), Article Title. Periodical Name, volume number (issue
number). Day the writer retrieved the article from website address.
The MLA citation of the same article would
appear in a different way. The name is followed by the article title, the name
of the periodical and the date retrieved. The end result would appear as
follows:
Author Last Name, Author Full First Name.
Article Title. Periodical Name Volume number. Issue number (date article was
published): Page Number(s). Date Retrieved by User .
The Owl at
Purdue is one of the best resources for those who need to use APA style
citations for electronic sources. Their website includes information on
documenting websites, blogs, wikis and other electronic sources. The Owl at
Purdue also has a page devoted to MLA, Works
Cited: Electronic Sources.
MLA
Citation has resources available for those who need to cite electronic
sources throughout their paper. The website gives examples on how to properly
cite these sources in the footnotes of the paper, and how to use quotes from
those sites.
Other helpful websites for those needing
help with MLA citations are MLA Style for Electronic Sources, MLA Style, The Modern Language
Association and MLA
Style Guide.
Be aware that this last guide is in a PDF file that may
take awhile to load.
The MLA
Style page at the University of Wisconsin is also helpful, as is Works Cited: MLA
Style.
There are many places a student can go when
they need help with APA citations of electronic sources, beyond the Purdue
website. One such place is Citing Internet and Electronic Sources, which covers different
types of electronic sources.
Other helpful websites include APA Style, APA
Citation Style, APA Style: Citing Electronic Sources and Guide to
APA Reference Lists.
Users may also want to consult Cite
Source, Documenting Sources: APA Style Formatting, Write Source and APA
Tips.
These links include examples of citing
electronic sources in both the APA and MLA style. Users can look at general
examples as well as specific examples of citing, using real life resources.