MLA Citation Guide: Web Citations
Web citations require flexibility and patience. Publishers of books and magazines adhere to conventions for supplying basic information such as author, title, and date. No such conventions are enforced on the Web, and as a result no two Web sites are alike in terms of whether they supply basic information or, if they do, where and how they display it.
A short guide like this cannot begin to address all the variations you will encounter on the Web, but if you review the basic MLA formats for Web citation illustrated below, you should be able to apply or adapt them to most situations.
First Rule of Web Citation: Citation should always be to the Web site where the text of a document actually resides--not the Web site that supplies a link to it.
MLA Citations In Text
MLA in-text citations for print materials generally provide the author(s) and page number(s).
Because Web materials sometimes lack an author and often lack a page number, in-text citation can be tricky. Supply as much of this information as the Web site provides and make sure that your in-text citation begins with the same entry element as the corresponding Works Cited citation.
The MLA Handbook states that "when a source has no page number or any other kind of reference numbers, no number can be given in the parenthetical reference." In rare cases where the paragraphs are numbered in your source, give the number after the abbreviation "par."
The following examples refer to the articles cited above.
Author and Page Number available:
Fundamentalist Christian groups claim they were instrumental in reelecting George Bush (Cooperman and Edsall A1).
No Author or Page Number available:
Chekhov began his literary career as a short story writer ("Anton Chekhov").
[When there is no author, begin with the title, shortening it if possible. The first few words must correspond exactly to the first few words of the title entry in your Works Cited citation.]
Group Author, No Page Number:
Freedom of expression in American recently scored a victory in Michigan (American Civil Liberties Union).
As indicated above, there are so many variations in Web documents that you should be prepared to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Sixth Edition, 2003) for guidance. See in particular:
- Citing Electronic Publications (207-224).
- Parenthetical Documentation (238-258).
Dr. Brian Saunders, Humanities Librarian, Ithaca College Library, January 2005
