Referencing online material in APA

This page outlines the correct format for online sources in an APA reference list:

• Web page
• Book or journal, magazine, or newspaper article online
• Webpage on a news website
• Encyclopædia entry online
• Online forum /discussion board message
• Blog post
• Video online
• E-mail
• Online lectures
• Artificial intelligence platforms (such as ChatGPT)

Many online sources are missing important referencing information, such as the author or year of publication. See referencing elements for information on what to do in these circumstances.

New to referencing? See the introduction to referencing.

Order: Author(s). Date of publication (in brackets with month and day if available). Page title (in italics). URL

The earlier (6th) edition of APA formats this differently. See 6th vs. 7th for details.

• Provide the most specific date (if possible, including month and day) available. If a last updated date is available for the specific page being cited, then use this in the reference list. In an in-text citation, however, only give the year. Note: a last reviewed date implies the web page content has not been changed or updated so use the original date given.
• Give the full URL address as it appears in your browser's address bar.
• Do not place a full stop at the end of the URL as this may affect the functionality of the link.
• Web pages do not always have the same quality controls as printed material. Many websites are not appropriate for an academic assignment. See evaluating source quality for details.
• Only give a retrieval date for content that is likely to change frequently (e.g. a dictionary or encyclopaedia entry, a Facebook page, a Google map). Most web pages do not require a retrieval date.
• Most websites do not have page numbers so this detail is omitted.
• For a passing reference to a whole website, a full reference listing is not required. If mentioning a whole website, such as OWLL, it is sufficient to give the address of the site in just in brackets at the end of the sentence. For example: One useful referencing tool is APA interactive (http://owll.massey.ac.nz/referencing/apa.interactive.php).

Web page without an individual author

Many online sources do not identify an individual author. In this case use the organisation in the place of the author. See no author for details:

Some websites may also be missing a year of publication or page numbers.

Web page where the author is a government agency

Order: Author(s). Date of publication (in brackets). Page title (in italics). Source. URL

• Use the most specific government agency for the author.
• Parent agencies that are not included in the author should be included in the source element.

Include a DOI for all works that have one, even if you used the print version. If a print work does not have a DOI, however, then do not include a URL in the reference.

• Online book
• Online journal article
• Online magazine article
• Online newspaper article from a news website

APA distinguishes between a newspaper that is in print and has articles online, and a news website that does not have an associated newpaper so readers can access only access news stories via web pages. E.g., RNZ, Huffpost, CNN, BBC.

Order: Author. Year of publication (in brackets, including month and day if possible). Story title. Site name (in italics). URL

Online encyclopædias should be treated like printed encyclopædias, with the addition of the date of retrieval and URL address at the end of the reference. If there is no author, the entry title is moved to the author position. See no author for details.

Order: Author. Year of publication (in brackets). Entry title. Site name (in italics). Date of retrieval, URL

• Web pages do not always have the same quality controls as printed material. Many websites are not appropriate for an academic assignment. See evaluating source quality for details.
• Note that a date of retrieval should be included if you have reason to believe that the link may change over time (e.g., for dictionary or encyclopaedia entries). Note: some sources (e.g. Wikipedia articles, Cochrane reviews) are archived which means the link is stable and a retrieval date is not necessary.
• Do not place a full stop at the end of the URL or DOI as this may affect the functionality of the link.

The earlier (6th) edition of APA formats this differently. See 6th vs. 7th for details.

Order: Author or username [user handle in square brackets]. Date of post (in brackets). Title / subject line (up to the first 20 words, in italics) description of links, pictures, emoji’s [optional; in square brackets]. Description of social media [in square brackets]. Social media platform. Retrieval date (optional), URL address.

Note: Use X for posts that predate the name change from Twitter because this is how they are now formatted and how they can be located.

The earlier (6th) edition of APA formats this differently. See 6th vs. 7th for details.

Blog posts are formatted similarly to journal articles.

Order: Author(s). Date of publication (in brackets). Blog post title (not in italics). Blog name (in italics). URL

In-text citations follow the basic format:

Comments on blog posts

Comments on blogs use a similar format to blog posts. Format the author’s name as it appears in the comment (this could be a username). In the title position, include the title of the comment (up to the first 20 words) followed by the title of the blog post being commented on (in square brackets, inside double quote marks, preceded by the words Comment on the blog post. Where possible link to the comment, if that’s not possible link to the blog post being commented on.

Order: Author(s) of comment (formatted as it appears in the comment). Date of publication (in brackets). Comment title (not in italics). [In square brackets include the title of the blog post being commented on inside double quote marks, preceded by the words Comment on the blog post]. Blog name (in italics). URL (for the comment where possible or the blog post if not)

In-text citations follow the basic format, but format the name as it appears in the comment (this could be a username):

The earlier (6th) edition of APA formats this differently. See 6th vs. 7th for details.

Online video (e.g., YouTube) is referenced according to the guidelines for audiovisual material, with the URL address.

• Video and audio material

Personal e-mail is not published, nor is it generally available to the public. It should therefore be treated as a personal communication and is only included as an in-text citation. See personal communications for details.

Online lectures have the same format as Video and audio material. List the lecturer or tutor as the author element and the course coordinators in the editor position

Order: Author/s. Date. Title of lecture [type of material in square brackets]. Course coordinator/s, Course title. URL address

Massey has a reputation for high academic standards which means people value our teaching and research and future employers value your qualification.

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms (such as ChatGPT) can be useful learning tools but often use of them may be considered dishonest academic behaviour. You must not use AI tools in an assessment unless your course coordinator or lecturer has given you clear and explicit permission to do so. Using AI tools without permission is likely to result in an academic integrity investigation and being found guilty of an academic integrity breach can have serious consequences such as failing the assessment or even the course.

You can read more about academic integrity at Massey here.

If you have been given permission to use AI platforms, you must still ensure you comply with the Massey Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessment Policy.

If you have permission to use AI in assessments (such as for developing initial ideas for the purposes of critical examination), this use must be acknowledged. The APA Style Guide provides guidance on how to reference Chat GPT.

The outputs of ChatGPT cannot be retrieved by others. Unretrievable outputs are usually referenced as personal communications, however, as there is no person being communicated with, according to APA, AI output is more like the output of an algorithm. As such, it is the author of the algorithm (i.e., the company that has created the AI platform) that should be credited in the in-text citation and corresponding entry in the reference list.

Reference list order: Author/s of generative AI model. Date. Title of model in italics (version) [type of model in square brackets]. URL address

In-text citations should follow the basic format for APA Style in-text citations, but include the Author/s of generative AI model in the author position.

Note: Be very cautious citing sources generated by AI as sometimes it can create sources that do not exist. It is recommended you personally check all sources generated by AI tools

References and further reading

Disclaimer

These pages are provided as a guide to proper referencing. Your course, department, school, or institute may prescribe specific conventions, and their recommendations supersede these instructions. If you have questions not covered here, check in the style guide listed above, ask your course coordinator, or ask at Academic Q+A.

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success
Last updated on 02 September, 2024