A reference list entry generally has four elements: the author, date, title, and source. Each element answers a question:
Type of information |
Reference list example |
YouTube video
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Asian Boss. (2020, June 5). World’s leading vaccine expert fact-checks COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy: Stay Curious #22 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQdLDMLrYIA
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Generic form
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Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video]. (Year video was uploaded, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Name of Streaming Service. URL
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Author
It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author of a website can be a corporation or group or an individual. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website. If there is no known author, you can start the citation with the title of the website instead.
Date
Sometimes finding the date is challenging for websites. The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. The date may be at the bottom of the page or next to the title of the article.
If you are motivated and have a little technology experience, you can use the tools listed in this web article to help you find the date.
6 Ways to Find Last Updated Date of a Web Page
If there is no date provided, put the letters (n.d.) in round brackets where you'd normally put the date.
Type of information |
Reference list example |
Webpage on a website with an individual author
|
Glassman, S. (2020, November 5). 3 Ways to use research to boost your credibility. The Writing Cooperative. https://writingcooperative.com/3-ways-to-use-research-to-boost-your-credibility-64650b901979
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Generic form
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Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year webpage was last updated/published, Month Day if given). Title of page: Subtitle (if any). Website name. url
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Type of information |
Reference list example |
Webpage on a website with an organizational group author
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World Health Organization. (2020, October 13). Antimicrobial resistance. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
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Generic form
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Corporation/Group/Organization's Name. (Year webpage was last updated/published, Month Day if given). Title of page: Subtitle (if any). url
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Type of information |
Reference list example |
Book with one author |
Chad, O. (2010). How to teach physics to your dog. Scribner.
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Generic form
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Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name often shortened.
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Type of information |
Reference list example |
Book with two to twenty authors |
Case, L. P., Daristotle, L., Hayek, M. G., & Raash, M. F. (2011). Canine and feline nutrition: A resource for companion animal professionals (3rd ed.). Mosby.
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Generic form
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Last Name of First Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given, & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name often shortened.
|
Type of information |
In text mention NOT for your Reference list |
Interview |
J. Zhang (personal communication, August 15, 2020)
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An interview is not considered recoverable data, so no reference to this is provided in the reference list. You may, however, cite the interview within the text as a personal communication.
Type of information |
Reference list example |
Image from a book |
Hockley, L. (2008). Science fiction. In G. Creber (Ed.), The television genre book (2nd ed., pp. 36-42). Palgrave Macmillan.
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Generic form
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Artist or Creator, A. (Year). Title: Subtitle [medium (if appropriate)]. Reproduced in Full details of book.
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Online image/artwork
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Denali National Park and Preserve. (2013). Lava [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8639280606/
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Generic form
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Artist or Creator, A. (Year). Title: Subtitle [medium (if appropriate)]. Publisher. URL
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Images can come from a variety of different print and digital resources.