Citing Online Sources

Contents:

1. Basic Data Elements
2. Structure of Citations in AMA, APA, and MLA styles
3. Examples of Citations in AMA, APA, and MLA styles
4. Sources of Additional Information

Data Elements To Include When Citing Online Sources

Incorporate these elements into citations which otherwise conform to the style you are using:

1. AVAILABILITY: the URL (electronic address) of the document, i.e.  
   http://newadonis.creighton.edu/hsl/Guides/Citing.html. 

2. DATE ACCESSED: the date the document was accessed at the given address.

3. MEDIUM: the medium in which the document is presented (i.e. serial online, web site).  
   Often omitted from citations to internet sources because the URL makes the medium clear. 

Structure of Citations In AMA, APA, and MLA Styles

American Medical Association Style

Reference numeral. Authors. Titles [medium]. Publication data. Available at: URL. Accessed month day, year.

American Psychological Association Style

Authors. (Publication date). Titles [medium], Publication data. Retrieved month day, year from URL

Modern Language Association Style

Authors. Titles. Medium. Publication data. Day month year accessed <URL>.

Examples of Citations In AMA, APA, and MLA Styles

Electronic journal article

AMA style

1.  Rosa L, Rosa E, Sarner L, Barrett S. A close look at therapeutic touch. JAMA [serial online]. 1998;279:1005-1010. Available at:   http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v279n13/rfull/joc71352.html. Accessed December 4, 2002.

APA style

Rosa, L., Rosa, E., Sarner, L., & Barrett, S. (1998). A close look at therapeutic touch.   JAMA, 279,1005-1010.   Retrieved December 4, 2002 from http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v279n13/rfull/joc71352.html

MLA style

Rosa,L., Rosa, E., Sarner, L., and Barrett, S. "A close look at therapeutic touch." JAMA 279 (1998): 1005-1010. 4 December 2002 <http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v279n13/rfull/joc71352.html>.

Web site

AMA style

2.  Gostin LO.   Drug use and HIV/AIDS [JAMA HIV/AIDS Information Center web site]. April 1996. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/policy/drugs.htm. Accessed January 7, 2003.

APA style

American Psychological Association.  (1999, November 19). Electronic references. [The Association’s APAStyle web site].   Retrieved 2 December 2002 from http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

MLA style

MLA style. How do I document sources from the World Wide Web in my works-cited list?  15 May 2002.  Modern Language Association. 4 December 2002
http://www.mla.org/www_mla_org/style/style_main.asp?level=2&
mode=page&page=1&link=sty72800121438§ion=sty51800124510

Sources of Additional Information

Books on Publication Style in the Creighton University Health Sciences Library

American Medical Association manual of style: a guide for authors and editors, 9^th ed.
Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
REF WZ 345 A511 1997

Gibaldi, Joseph.
MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing, 2^nd ed.
New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
REF WZ 345 G437m 1998

Gibaldi, Joseph.
MLA handbook for writers of research papers, 5^th ed.
New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1999.
REF WZ 345 G437m 1999

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 5^th ed.
Washington, DC: APA, 2001.
REF WZ 345 P976 2001

Chicago manual of style, 14^th ed.
Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
REF WZ 345 C532 1993

Scientific style and format: the CBE manual for authors,editors, and publishers, 6^th ed.
Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
REF WZ 345 S416 1994

Day, Robert A.
How to write and publish a scientific paper. 5^th ed.
Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1998.
REF WZ 345 D274h 1998

Huth, Edward J.
Writing and publishing in medicine. 3^rd ed.
Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1999.
REF WZ 345 H979w 1999

Li, Xia and Nancy Crane.
Electronic styles: a handbook for citing electronic information.
Medford, NJ: Information Today, 1996.
REF WZ 345 L693e 1996

Matthews, Janice R., John M. Bowen, and Robert W. Matthews.
Successful scientific writing: a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences. 2^nd ed.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
REF WZ 345 M439s 2000

Oermann, Marilyn H.
Writing for publication in nursing.
Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2002.
REF WZ 345 O29w 2002

Patrias, Karen.
National Library of Medicine recommended formats for bibliographic citation.
Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine, 1991.
REF WZ 345 P314n 1991

Patrias, Karen.
National Library of Medicine recommended formats for bibliographic citation. 
Supplement: Internet formats.
Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine, 2001.
REF WZ 345 P314n 2001

Turabian, Kate L.
A manual for writiers of term papers, theses, and dissertations. 6^th ed.
Chicago, London: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
REF WZ 345 T929m 1996

Style Guides and Resources on the Internet

JAMA. Author Instructions. Manuscript criteria and information. (Updated July 3, 2002)
http://jama.ama-assn.org/info/auinst.html  

JAMA instructions for authors. JAMA 2002;288:108-14 (reprinted).
http://jama.ama-assn.org/fpdf/jin0703.pdf 

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. Updated October 2001.
http://www.icmje.org/index.html  

American Psychological Association. Electronic references [document from the APA Style web site].  (no date)
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html  

MLA style. How do I document sources from the World Wide Web in my works-cited list? 15 May 2002. Document from the Modern Language Association web site: http://www.mla.org/
Direct link: http://www.mla.org/www_mla_org/style/style_main.asp?
level=2&mode=page&page=1&link=sty72800121438§ion=sty51800124510

Excerpts from International Standard ISO 690-2. Information and documentation – Bibliographic references – Part 2: Electronic documents or parts thereof. Last update: 2002-08-22.
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/iso/tc46sc9/standard/690-2e.htm

International Standard ISO 690-2. Information and documentation – Bibliographic references – Part 2: Electronic documents or parts thereof. Additional examples. Last update: 2002-08-22.
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/iso/tc46sc9/standard/690-2ex.htm

Harnack, Andrew, and Kleppinger, Eugene. Online! A reference guide to using internet sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/index.html 

Chapters with specific examples by style:

Using MLA style to cite and document sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html

Using principles of APA style to cite and document sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Using Chicago style to cite and document sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite7.html

Using CBE style to cite and document sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite8.html

Health Sciences Library, Creighton University Medical Center. Citing online sources.
http://newadonis.creighton.edu/hsl/Guides/Citing.html

Reinert/Alumni Library, Creighton University. Reference Shelf: Citation and Style Guides.
http://reinert.creighton.edu/vrrefdsk/citing.htm 

Purdue University. Resources for documenting electronic sources.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_docelectric.html 

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