Reference websites are an indispensable tool for researchers and writers. It is not uncommon for writers to struggle with how to reference a website. When you can’t find the information you need, a reference website is the first place your search should start.
Whether you’re writing a blog post or preparing a report for your boss, including the right sources will make it easier to explain what you’re saying. If you’ve ever struggled with referencing your sources correctly, this guide is here to help. Keep reading to learn more about how to reference a website, and discover some useful resources that can get you started immediately.
Learn why referencing is so important in writing and how to create a referencing list.
What is a reference website?
Reference websites are an essential source of information for researchers, writers, and anyone who needs to find accurate details. When you need to cite a source, reference websites are one of the most important tools in researching information. A reference website is any website cited by another author within the same article or in a different article. The key difference between other website types is that the information from reference websites is verified by other researchers, making it more reliable.
A reference website is a good source of information as it’s the first place your search should start. If you can’t find what you need on a website, the reference site is where your search should start. Please contact us to get started if you have any questions about finding the right sources.
How to reference a website – Easy ways to get it right
There are many ways to reference a website. The following are some tips that will help you out when it comes to referencing your sources correctly.
Go to the page referenced in your article and type their URL into the URL box. If possible, try and use this as your starting point for all future references by typing their name into a keyword box and saving it as an image for future reference sites that use this image format.
Type in the date of publication (i.e., “published September 22nd”) or year of publication (i.e., “published 2013”). This will help avoid having multiple citations on one page! See why? There are so many different formats for websites, some of which might not be used by other researchers or writers who don’t know them yet! When referencing websites that use images instead of paragraphs, put the image into a tag along with its caption and title; then save it as an image for future reference sites that use this format. Try this when referencing.
Types of Reference Websites
- Original – The original author has verified and archived the information.
- Archived – The original author has archived the information but hasn’t verified it.
- Reliable – The author has verified the information and is reliable.
- Peer reviewed – The information has been reviewed and approved by other researchers, including medical journals such as The Lancet.
How to reference a website in writing
When referencing a website in writing, you need to give the author, URL, and year of publication. Your reference format should look like this:
“Reference [author] (year, URL, DOI) worked on [article].”
The above example would be written as: “Reference [author] wrote on this article in [year]. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-the-real-cost-of-low-fat_us_5b2c8a6ee4b01d4d3b9fb7dd.”
How to reference a website in a speech
When referencing a website in a speech, an outline is often used to give the reader an idea of what the author will say and includes the keywords and title of the research paper. The outline may also contain some information about the author and their qualifications. In speeches, references are often made during introductions or after each quotation in a speech.
This information will allow your reader to find the original source of the information. Be sure to use an appropriate citation style. If the information you’re citing is from an academic paper, the reference at the end of the paper looks like this:
“Reference [author] (year, URL) worked on [article].”
If the information you’re citing is from a news article, the reference at the end of the article looks like this:
“Reference [author] wrote on this article in ‘[year]. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-the-real-cost-of-low-fat_us_5b2c8a6ee4b01d4d3b9fb7dd'”
How to reference a website in a presentation
When talking about websites, you want to choose a reference that’s easy for your audience to understand. A website reference that’s too complicated will confuse your listeners. You can also use speech and presentation websites when discussing academic papers, news articles, and blog posts. If you’re referencing a blog post, the reference will look like this:
“Reference [author] wrote on this blog post in ‘[year]. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-the-real-cost-of-lowfat_us_5b2c8a6ee4b01d4d3b9fb7dd'”
How to reference a publication in presentations and speeches
If you’re talking about a publication, the reference will look like this:
“Reference [author] published on [article]. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-the-real-cost-of-lowfat_us_5b2c8a6ee4b01d4d3b9fb7dd”
When should you use a web resource or digital object?
You can use a reference website when you’re explaining an academic paper, news article, or blog post. You can also use resource websites when you’re discussing academic papers, research papers, and books. For example, if you’re discussing a research paper in class, you can use the relevant website to explain what the paper means instead of re-explaining the paper.
If you’re referencing a publication in a presentation or speech, you can use the reference as long as it’s related to the topic of your presentation. For example, if you’re speaking about a research paper on the topic of “The Real Cost of Low-Fat Food”, you can use [author]’s article on low-fat food (or [author]’s website).
Tips for referencing websites
- Check the original author, URL, and publication date for each website you use. This will ensure the information is reliable.
- Avoid plagiarizing. You can use other people’s information as long as you properly cite it.
- Avoid using websites that are outdated or incorrect.
- Avoid using websites with text and media as a citation. You need to cite the information as a list of words.
- Avoid using a website as a reference if you can explain the information differently.
Conclusion
Reference websites are an important tool for researchers, writers, and anyone who needs accurate details. When you need to cite a source, you can look to reference websites as helpful references. There are many reference websites, each with its own purpose. Check the original author, URL, and publication date for each website you use.
