APA Format for a Website Reference

Summary

In this educational video, Colin Eason from Pima Medical Institute guides viewers on crafting an APA reference for a website. The tutorial addresses the absence of an author and publication date by utilizing the section title and copyright date. It emphasizes the importance of italicizing the website's name, using title case, and providing the full URL. The video also instructs on in-text citations, advising against including page numbers for web resources and using 'n.d.' for missing dates, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of APA referencing for online sources.

Takeaways

• 📝 Start an APA reference for a website without an author by using the section title in sentence case.
• 🗓️ Include the copyright date in parentheses following the section title if no publication date is available.
• 🔎 Italicize the name of the website when referencing it in APA format.
• 📚 Use title case for the name of the website, capitalizing the first letter of significant words that are four letters or more.
• 🔗 Indicate 'retrieved from' followed by the full URL of the website, ensuring it is not truncated.
• 🖥️ Do not include page numbers for web resources as they do not have published page numbers.
• 📑 Use double quotes around the title of the article in parenthetical citations within the text.
• ❓ If no date is visible on a website, use 'n.d.' (no date) in both the reference list and parenthetical citations.
• 👤 If the website section has an author, begin the reference with the author's name and move the section title accordingly.
• 🔁 Encourage reviewing the script and 'magic formula' for clarity on creating APA references for websites.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video by Colin Eason?

The purpose of the video is to demonstrate how to create an APA reference for a website when the author's name and publication date are not available.

How does one begin an APA reference for a website without an author?

In the absence of an author, the reference begins with the section title of the website, using sentence case.

What is the significance of using sentence case for the section title in APA references?

Sentence case is used to capitalize only the first word of a title and proper nouns, which is different from title case where most significant words are capitalized.

Why is the copyright date included in the APA reference for a website?

The copyright date is included as a substitute for the publication date when the exact publication date is not available.

How should the name of the website be formatted in an APA reference?

The name of the website should be italicized and use title case, capitalizing the first letter of every significant word of four letters or more.

What does 'retrieved from' signify in the context of an APA reference for a website?

The phrase 'retrieved from' precedes the web address, indicating the source from which the information was accessed.

Why is it important to include the full web address in an APA reference?

Including the full web address ensures that readers can locate the exact source of the information, even if it's a lengthy URL.

What should one do if a word processor automatically formats the web address with a hyperlink?

If a word processor formats the web address as a hyperlink, it's acceptable to leave it as is or change the color and remove the underlining if preferred.

How is the title of the article cited in the parenthetical citation within the text?

The title of the article is cited within double quotes and followed by the year of publication in the parenthetical citation.

What does 'nd' stand for in an APA reference, and when is it used?

'nd' stands for 'no date' and is used in an APA reference when there is no visible date on the website.

What changes are made to the APA reference format if the website section has an author?

If the website section has an author, the reference begins with the author's name, and the section title is placed before the website name.