Citing Internet Sources and Online Databases
Important Notes:
These web-based guidelines have been designed and developed as a service to JCC students, faculty, and staff. Address comments and suggestions regarding this site to Joanna Chrzanowski.
These citations represent only the most frequently used sources. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE COMPLETE! For complete documentation style, see MLA Handbook, the most recent addition. For more comprehensive examples, the English Department recommends you use The Concise Wadsworth Handbook, or another recent edition of a handbook.
View a copy of Dare to Document in Adobe Acrobat Reader. (Get Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Updated 2007
Note: Follow all punctuation marks, quotes, spacing, and underlining exactly as shown in the examples throughout the guide!
Citing sources found through the Internet can be confusing. Remember - all that glitters isn't gold, and everything you find through the Internet is not cited the same. First decide what you have, and then match it to the nearest example!
Remember - the information is only as good as the source!
Here are some general guidelines for citing material found through the Internet and online databases:
- Decide what type of electronic source you have (web page? library database? online book? magazine or newspaper? reference work?);
- Find the closest example in the section below;
- Follow that format as closely as you can. You won't always find everything! Be sure to look for the date the document/site was put on the web and who the producer/publisher is (both are often found at the very end of the item or bottom of the web page);
- Then add the date you found the material;
- Finally, put the Web address at the end, enclosed in the < > symbols, and always end with a period.
Entire Web Site
NEVER give pages for web sites because these
exist only on the screen, not in print!
Web Site with NO Author and NO Document Title
Skateboarding Online. {Name or title of site underlined} Apr. 2003. {Date posted on web, often found at the very end of the web page} Martin Industries. {Company or organization doing the posting, often found at the very end of the web page} 30 Sept. 2004 {Date you accessed the site} <http://www.holidaystogo.com>. {Web address enclosed in < > and ended with a period}
Web Site WITH Author and Document Title
Humboldt, Jessica. "Skateboarding and You." Skateboarding Online. Apr. 2003. Martin Industries. 30 Sept. 2004 <http://www.holidaystogo.com>.
Web Site WITH Document Title Only
"Skateboarding Made Easy." Skateboarding Online. Apr. 2003. Martin Industries. 30 Sept. 2004 <http://www.holidaystogo.com>.
Linked Site
Essay Writing Made Easy. {This is the link} Mar. 2005. Lkd. Owl at Purdue U. {This is the original site} 2 May 2005 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources.writetech.html#web>.
If a web site does not assign a specific URL to every document (or if citing a search page is not appropriate), give the URL of the site's home page. If the reader can get to the document from the home page by clicking on a sequence of links, follow the URL with Path, and then specify the sequence of links with semi colons to separate them:
Davidson, Barbara, and Greg Gusta. "Seeking Eternal Youth." Fountain of Youth. 2 Ap. 2007. 30 Nov. 2007 <http://www.stu.edu/youth>. Path: Youth; Fountain.
Online Government Publication
Cite these the same as print version but end
with the date you accessed the article on the web and <URL>.
United States. {Name of federal, state, or local government} U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. {Name of agency or department} Occupational Outlook Handbook. {Name of publication outlined} Oct. 2000. {Date posted on the web} 24 Oct. 2001 {Date you accessed it} <http://stats.bls.gov/ocos/>. {Web address enclosed in < > and followed by a period}
Information Found through Library Database
Use the web address of the database.
View a copy of MLA Format for Citing Electronic Library Databases
in Adobe Acrobat Reader for addresses and database producers.
Copies are also available at the JCC library.
(Get Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Scholarly Journal Article Found through LIBRARY Database
Brown, John O. {Author} "What to Do When All of Your Company's Experts Have Been Downsized." {Title of article or item in quotes} Quality Progress {Name of journal underlined} 12.3 {Volume and issue number for scholarly journals only} (2001): 15-27. {page range, if given} WilsonSelect Plus. {Database name underlined} OCLC FirstSearch. {Publisher of database} Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. {Library of access and its location for this source because different libraries buy different versions} 25 Nov. 2004 {Date you accessed this source} <http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org>. {Web address of database enclosed in < > and ended with a period}
For ERIC documents found through library databases, follow the ABOVE format!
General Magazine Article Found through LIBRARY Database
Challenger, James E. {If you don't have an author, begin with the title of the article in quotes} "Downsizing Is Bad for Business." USA Today (Magazine) Jan. 1997: 66-69. {Pages of the original article} InfoTrac Onefile. Gale Group. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 5 Sept. 2001 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb>.
Newspaper Article Found through LIBRARY Database
"Brother Governors Steal GOP Spotlight: George Bush's Sons See Lessons in Wins." {Begin with the article title in quotes because no author is given.} Boston Globe 19 Nov. 1998: A11. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. Lexis-Nexis. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 5 Sept. 2001 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.
Article in Online Encyclopedia
Jones, John. "Jobs for Today's Community College Graduates." Americana Online. Vers. 23.1. Feb. 2003. Encyclopedia Americana. 30 Sept. 2004 <http://www.americonline.com/jobs>.
"Poe, Alexander." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 2003. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 6 May 2004 <http://search.eb.com>.
Article in CQ Researcher
Housman, Chad. “Ingredients and Styles in Modern Cuisine.” CQ Researcher 17.2 (2007): 55-58. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 2 Feb. 2007 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007012600>.
Article in Opposing Viewpoints, or Taking Sides or Pro Con
Overview/Introduction Essay
Boomer, Steven. “Obesity among U.S. Children.” Health. Ed. John Stevenson. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Group. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 22 Nov. 2006 <http://www.galegroup.com>.
Article for or against the Issue
Fosse, Susan. “Children and Their Eating Habits.” USA Today 13 Oct. 2006: 22-23. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Group. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 25 Dec. 2006 <http://www.galegroup.com>.
Electronic Books
To cite an electronic book accessed via the open Internet,
use the guidelines found in Section 5.9.3 of the MLA Handbook, 6th Ed.
To cite electronic books that our library offers in MLA format, construct a citation for the print version of the book, and then add information relating to the source of the electronic version, the company that produced the database or collection, the library that provided access to it, the library’s address, the date you accessed it, and the URL of the database or collection (or the URL of the specific book if appropriate/available). Use the examples below as a guide.
NetLibrary
Shahan, Sherry. Dashing through the Snow: The Story of the Jr. Iditarod. Brookfield, CT: Milbrook, 1997. NetLibrary. OCLC Online Computer Lib. Center. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 10 Oct. 2006 <http://www.netlibrary.com>.
SUNY Press E Book Collection (Use the specific URL of the e-book being cited.)
Sherraden, Margaret S., Cynthia K. Sanders, and Michael Sherraden. Kitchen Capitalism. Albany: State U of New York P, 2004. SUNY Press E Book Collection. State University of New York. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 14 Oct. 2006 <http://hdl.handle.net/1951/523>.
History E-Book Project (Use the specific URL for the history e-book being cited.)
Thomson, Alistair. Anzac Memories: Living with the Legend. Melbourne: Oxford UP, 1994. History E-Book Project. American Council of Learned Societies. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 15 Oct. 2006 <http://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.03457>.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (Citation of a specific entry from an e-book)
“Wireless Systems Integrator.” Business Plans Handbook. Ed. Jacqueline K. Mueckenheim. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 423-450. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 14 Oct. 2006 <http://galenet.galegroup.com>.
Xreferplus (Citation of a specific entry from an e-book)
“Juarez, Benito (Pablo) 1806 – 1872.” Chambers Biographical Dictionary. London: Chambers, 2003. Xreferplus. Xrefer. Jefferson Community Coll. Lib., Watertown, NY. 10 Oct. 2006 <http://www.xreferplus.com>.
Article or Document Found Directly on Internet
Scholarly Article with Print Counterpart
Fallon, Nicolas. "Community College Students Compete Well." National Community College Journal 5.3 (Mar. 2003): 22-32. 2 Oct. 2004 <http://www.commu.edu/ny>.
General Magazine Article
"Study While You Party." {Begin with article title if no author given} Partytimes June 2002. 6 Sept. 2004 <http://www.partytimes.com/flunkout>.
Newspaper Article
Miser, Fred. "How to Finance Your Education." AP Online 5 May 2003. 6 Jan. 2004 <http://www.wallstreet.com>.
Abstract
Plagiarist, Mary. "Who Needs Documentation, Anyway?" Radical Journal 6.7 (2002): 1-10. Abstract. 31 Dec. 2004 <http://www.doc.jcc.edu/radical/abstract/>.
Article from Personal Online Service (such as AOL), Using a Keyword (when no URL provided)
"Saul Bellow." Famous American Authors Encyclopedia Online. Vers. 3.4. 2001. America Online. 10 Jan. 2004. Keyword: Bellow.
Online Book
Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. Ed. Joan Melville. 2002. Oxford U. 20 Nov. 2004 <http://www.oxfordu.edu/dickens/twist>.
Part of Online Book (such as a chapter or article)
Hardy, Thomas. "Why Tess Had to Die." The Collected Writings of Thomas Hardy. Ed. Manfred Monroe. June 2001. Oxford U. 10 Dec. 2004 <http://www.oxfordu.edu/har>.
Other Useful Online Citations
TV or Radio Program Transcript
"The Threat of Terrorism." Your Future. CNN. 10 Dec. 2003. Transcript. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.cnnnews.org>.
Interview
Curac, Katie. Interview with Chelsea Clinton. Mademoiselle Sept. 2004. 28 Nov. 2004 <http://www.mademoiselle.com>.
Personal Web Site (Use with caution!)
Kennen, Nathan. Home page. 25 Apr. 2003. 22 Sept. 2004 <http://www.watertown.ny/nath/index.html>.
A Home Page for a Course
Smith, Pam. Math 125. Course home page. Aug. 2003-Nov. 2004. Dept. of Mathematics, Jefferson Community College, Watertown, NY. 12 Dec. 2004 <http://users.westelcom.com/pamsmith>.
Home Page for a Department
Economics. Dept. home page. University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. 10 Dec. 2004 <http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/economics/>.
Posting to Discussion List
Flower, Violet. "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Online posting. 3 July 2003. NY Botanical Gardens Annual Conference. 5 Aug. 2004 <http://www.flowers/ny/botanical/gardens>.
Email Correspondence
Johnson, Marianne. Email to the author. 17 Jan. 2005.