How to MLA Cite a Website: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

As a student or a researcher, citing sources accurately is crucial for ensuring the credibility of your work. However, proper citation can be a challenging task if you’re not familiar with the specific guidelines of the citation style. More specifically, MLA citation for websites is a task that requires particular attention to detail if you want to avoid plagiarism and present professional work. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to MLA cite a website, including a step-by-step guide, common mistakes to avoid, and the differences between in-text citation and works cited.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Format an MLA Citation for a Website

Before delving into the specific steps, it is important to understand why properly formatting a citation matters. Inaccurate or incorrect formatting of citations can lead to plagiarism or reduce the credibility of your work. Therefore, it’s essential to follow the guidelines closely to produce a correct citation.

Using the MLA citation style for websites includes taking the following steps:

1. Gathering necessary information

The first step in MLA citation for websites is collecting the information needed for your citation. This includes the author or sponsor of the website, the name of the website, the date of publication or the latest update, the URL, and the access date. Below are examples of how to gather this information:

  • The author or sponsor of a website can usually be found in the “about” or “contact” section of the website.
  • The name of the website is typically found at the top or bottom of the website or in the website’s banner.
  • The date of publication or update is commonly found at the top or bottom of the webpage or at the end of the article.
  • The URL is found in the address bar of your web browser.
  • The access date is the day you retrieved the information from the website and should be included with your citation.

2. Formatting the citation in MLA style

Once you gather all the necessary information, it’s time to format the citation in MLA style. Here is how to format the citation for a website:

Last name of the author, First name of the author. “Title of the webpage.” Title of the Website, Publisher of the website, publication date or last modified date, URL. Accessed day-month-year.

Here is an example with the information in the correct order:

Doe, John. “The Impact of Technology on Education.” Education Today, Education Today Corp., 12 June 2021, www.educationtoday.com/impact-of-technology-on-education. Accessed 20 July 2021.

3. Examples of different types of websites

The previous example was for a basic website. However, different types of websites may require different information for citation. Here are examples of other types of websites you may come across:

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal:

Last name of the author, First name of the author. “Title of the article.” Title of the Journal, volume number, issue number, year of publication, page numbers. Name of Database, doi: DOI number. Accessed day-month-year.

A Government Publication:

Name of Government Agency. Title of Publication. Publisher, publication date. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

A Social Media Post:

Last name, First name or username of creator. “Title of Post.” Title of Website or App, Date posted, Time posted, URL. Accessed day-month-year.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When MLA Citing a Website

While formatting a citation might seem simple, there are common mistakes that are often made. Some of the most frequent errors are:

1. Missing or incomplete information

Often, the information required for citation might not be found, or some details could be left incomplete. These errors lead to incomplete citations, and the reader may not locate the referenced material.

2. Incorrect paragraph indentations

When citing a website, indenting the first line of paragraphs is necessary. However, failing to indent or improper indentations cause mistakes.

3. Incorrect spacing or punctuation

Errors can occur in spacing or using punctuation marks where they are not required. Neglecting any of these details can drastically alter the accuracy and quality of the citation.

It is best to avoid these mistakes to ensure the credibility of your work. Here are some examples of the right way to format the citation:

Adams, Amy. “The Future of Education.” Education World, Education World Corp., 10 Sept. 2018, www.educationworld.com/future-education. Accessed 19 July 2021.

Differences Between In-Text Citation and Works Cited When Citing a Website in MLA

As previously mentioned, any kind of citation impact the credibility of your work. Therefore, it’s important to differentiate the correct ways to cite websites in a scholarly text.

1. Definition and importance of in-text citation and works cited page

In-text citations help the reader locate the referenced material immediately and to verify the credibility of your information. On the other hand, works cited page provides an alphabetically organized list of all references cited in the text.

2. Explanation of the differences between the two and when to use each

Works cited page provides the citation in full details while in-text citation provides the necessary information such as author’s last name and page number where the reference is found.

3. Examples of properly formatted in-text citations and works cited entries

In-text citation of a website follows the (Author Page #) format. For example, (Doe 4) would refer to the fourth page written by John Doe. Here’s how the corresponding entry for this example should be formatted on the Works Cited page:

Doe, John. “The Impact of Technology on Education.” Education Today, Education Today Corp., 12 June 2021, www.educationtoday.com/impact-of-technology-on-education. Accessed 20 July 2021.

Best Online Tools to Help with MLA Citation for Websites

With the help of productivity tools, formatting MLA citation for websites can be less time-consuming. Here are some of the most popular tools:

1. EasyBib

EasyBib is a popular citation generator that can automatically format an MLA citation for a website citing. It can generate a citation by entering the URL of a website or by searching for the website’s title or author.

2. Citation Machine

Citation Machine can format your citation instantly by typing in the website’s URL or title. It also provides citation style options such as MLA, APA, and Chicago.

3. BibMe

BibMe can generate citations for many different types of web-based resources, including websites, blogs, and tweets. It also offers an intuitive interface, making it straightforward to use, even for beginners.

How MLA Citation for Websites is Different from Other Citation Styles

MLA citation for a website distinguishes itself from other citation styles by its detailed emphasis on specific details about the website, including the access date of the webpage. Other citation styles, such as Chicago and APA, have different guidelines and expectations.

1. Explanation of the importance of following citation style guidelines

Each citation style has evolved to meet specific academic and context requirements. Therefore it is essential to adhere to the conventions of each citation style to maintain the credibility of your work.

2. Overview of the main differences between MLA and other citation styles for citing websites

The main differences between MLA and other citation styles include stressing the importance of the author’s name and date of publication. Citation styles such as APA and Chicago have different guidelines and requirements.

3. Examples of how to appropriately use MLA citation style in comparison other citation styles

For example, in APA, the Date of Retrieval information is not always necessary. In Chicago, access dates are uncommon, but they are sometimes added as notes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, MLA citation for a website is a crucial aspect of academic work. This article has provided you with a step-by-step guide, common mistakes to avoid, and the differences between in-text citations and works cited pages. Besides, online tools such as EasyBib, Citation Machine and BibMe make it easier to format citations quickly. Following the guidelines detailed in this article helps to ensure credibility, avoid plagiarism and present polished work.

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