So, you've stumbled upon a gem of a website during your research, a source brimming with valuable information. Now comes the crucial part: giving credit where credit is due, and doing it the APA 6th Edition way. It might seem a bit daunting at first, but think of it as building a clear trail back to that digital discovery for anyone who follows your work.
At its heart, citing a website in APA 6th Edition is about providing enough information for your reader to locate the exact page you consulted. The standard structure you'll want to keep in mind is pretty straightforward: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page. Name of Website. URL.
Let's break that down a bit. The 'Author' is usually the individual or organization responsible for the content. If there's no clear author, you might use the name of the website itself. The date is important – try to find the most specific date available, like the day it was published or last updated. Then comes the 'Title of the web page,' which should be italicized. Following that, you'll list the 'Name of the Website' (not italicized), and finally, the direct 'URL' that leads straight to the page.
For instance, if you found an insightful article on a site like FiveThirtyEight, and it was written by S. Austerlitz and published on March 3, 2015, with the title 'How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last?', your citation would look something like this: Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/
Now, it's worth remembering that the digital world is a bit of a chameleon. Not every piece of online content fits neatly into this general 'website' category. If you're looking at a YouTube video, for example, you'd refer to the specific guidelines for citing online videos. Similarly, if you're referencing a newspaper article you found online, there's a distinct format for that. The 'Website' format is really your go-to for those pages that don't have a more specific classification.
And what about the wild west of social media? APA 6th Edition has provisions for that too, though it can get a bit detailed. For Facebook posts, you'll include the user's name, the date, the first 20 words of the post, and indicate if there's an attached source like a video or image. Twitter follows a similar pattern, requiring the account holder's name, their handle, the date, and the first 20 words of the tweet. Instagram citations will include the account holder's name, their handle, the date, and the first 20 words of the caption, noting if it's a photograph or video.
Keeping track of all these sources as you delve into your research is key. It not only keeps your work organized but also ensures you're upholding academic integrity. Think of your reference list as a helpful map for your readers, guiding them back to the original landscapes of information you explored.
