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APA (7th ed.) referencing guide (Online): Websites

Mae'r dudalen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg

Evaluating information online

Finding information on the internet is easy, but finding good quality and reliable information is trickier than you think. Before you use any web resource in your assignment ask yourself “Is the web page as good as information you would find in a book or academic journal?”

Check that the information is reliable and accurate.
Check:

  • Who wrote the information? Do they have relevant qualifications? Have they written other material on the subject? Do they have a bias?
  • When was the information published? Is it current enough for your needs?
  • Why was the information put on the web? Is it selling or promoting something? Is it biased?

In text citations

Example:

First citation:

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) states that...
OR
...(World Health Organization (WHO), 2018).

Subsequent citations:

WHO (2018) states that...
OR
...(WHO, 2018).

Note: A good tip if you are going to use the same citation a few times in your assignment is to use acronyms. You must explain the acronym in full the first time you use it, followed by the acronym so it is clear to your lecturer what is stands for.

Reference list

Last name, Initial(s) or Group Author. (Year, Month Day). Title. Website name. URL
 

Example

Gallagher, J. (2020, August 4). Testing and tracing 'key to schools returning', scientists say. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53638083

World Health Organization. (2020, December 9). The top 10 causes of death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death

NB: When the author and website name are the same omit the website name to avoid repetition.