How Do I Cite Information From Web MD, EMedicine, Etc?

Question

How Do I Cite Information From Web MD, EMedicine, Etc?

2 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

The process of citing information, or listing the sources where you drew your research from, purely depends on the citation method that your class, course, or even college recommends you use.

Different citation techniques

There are five widely recognized citation systems currently being used. There is the Oxford system, Harvard, American Sociological Association (ASA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the MLA. Each one was created by a different institution, yet are all credible ways of citing information.

For examples of the different styles, visit the Purdue OWL. This is a very good resource that helps students understand the process of citation. You can check out the website at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.

Citing information from websites

Citing information from websites is actually an easier process than for books. The process is simple enough, so long as you know each piece of information that needs to be listed when you are citing a reference. Each citation system is unique, and slightly different to another system (hence why there are others around), yet they all have the same basic format. In this order, you need to list:

The name of author/authors (if they are known).
The title of the paper/article. This is shown in quotation marks.
The title of the web page where the reference is drawn from (in italics).
The date of most recent revision to the article/page.
The URL of the website you are referencing.
The date you accessed the article in question.

How do I list a citation?

The normal way of listing citations is to put a small, superscript number at the end of a sentence. This is the numerical symbol for the sentence that you drew from another source. Depending on your layout of the paper, the references can be placed either in the footer of the page where you cited a reference, or at the end of the paper, in an appendix section. The references are then listed in chronological order by their reference number, with the citation information listed beside it.

Answer 2

It depends on what style you are using in your thesis or article. There are clear rules on citing internet sources but they vary according to the style - APA, Harvard, MLA and so on. A very good online resource for citation styles is the Purdue Owl - you should find the information you need here, otherwise you may need to check it with your supervisor or publisher.