Citing Internet Sources
Many departmental style guides provide some direction on how to cite electronic (and internet) sources. However, most do not yet provide detailed specifics for documenting web-based sources beyond stating that the URL (network address, e.g., "http://www.") should be current and should work. These guidelines pick up where most style guides leave off.
Problem URLs
The types of URLs that typically cause problems are those that are obtained by: (a) following several links within the web
site, (b) performing a search on keywords, titles, etc. with a web site's internal search engine, or (c) opening an Adobe
Acrobat (or other document) file from a link on a web site. These pages often cannot be accessed directly by using the URL
displayed when those pages are viewed. Therefore, copying the URL and pasting it into the bibliography--all proper and
correct in theory-may not work. One example of a "suspect" URL is one that has a very long address, like the following:
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/public_education/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/
security/getfile.cfm&PageID=6113
Other addresses (short or long) that may not work are those that contain any of the following symbols: ?, #, %, &, or =.
Testing
Always test a URL for validity before using it in your bibliography. To do this you can copy the URL from the target page, open your Internet browser a second time (you can have 2 sessions going at once) and paste that URL into the "address" bar at the top of the browser window. Press Enter or click on the "Go" button. If the page opens, it works and you can use it. If you get an error message, it probably doesn't work and you will need to make a note as to how you got there (through the site's search engine, or by following links-in which case, record the links). Although the error message "this page cannot be displayed" usually means that the address doesn't work, it could also be an indication that the site is temporarily off-line to be updated. To be sure, wait a day and try it again.
Reference List
The purpose of the bibliography or reference list is to give enough information about each source to allow the reader
to locate it. There are several style guides that currently provide specific, detailed instruction on how to accomplish
this. Students should always check the web site for their style guide to determine if newer, up-to-date instruction on
citing Internet sources is available. At a minimum, SDSU students should use the following instructions and examples as
a guide in listing web-based sources in their theses and dissertations.
INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLES
Where to Split a URL:
It is appropriate to split a URL after any backslash, underscore, hyphen, or equal sign.
When Following Links to a Page:List as much of the URL from the target page that works or list the URL of
the home page. Remember to use the "Insert Hyperlink" icon on your Word toolbar to "remove link" so that the URL is not
underlined and the font color is black when it appears in your manuscript. Then give the link sequence after the URL
(separating each with a semicolon and a space), keeping in sync as much as possible with the departmental style guide you
are using. So, for example, for the non-working URL shown in the "Problem URL's" section above, a correct APA-style entry
would be the following (note that if your style guide encloses the URL in brackets, the path information would not be in
parentheses):
American Society of Plastic Surgeons. (2002). National plastic surgery statistics: Cosmetic
and reconstructive patient trends. Retrieved March 03, 2003, from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/public_education
(Path: statistics; 2002 statistics; 2000-2001-2002 National Plastic Surgery Statistics).
When Using an Internal Search Engine:
If the target page was obtained by searching a web site's internal
search engine: (1) give the URL of the web site (or database) search page, or (2) give the URL of the home page if the search
engine function resides there. Remember to use the "Insert Hyperlink" icon on your Word toolbar to "remove link" so that the
URL is not underlined and the font color is black when it appears in your manuscript. Then, follow the URL with the search
criteria. For example, a correct APA-style entry would be the following:
Last Revised: 7-9-07
