One of the two style manuals most often used in writing research papers and bibliographies is Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Style).  The most recent version is the 5th edition published in 2001.  The other manual is MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (MLA Style). APA Style was originally developed for use in anthropology, psychology, and behavioral science journals.

The American Psychological Association has published examples of how to cite information in electronic formats in both a print manual and on its association web site.  The print manual is available at Milner Library in reference collections on Floors 1, 2, and 5 (call number Ref BF 76.7 .P83 2001).  Instructions for citing electronic media are located in Section 4.16 I of the manual starting on page 268.   The web version of these instructions is located at http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html.

According to APA Style, the citation for an electronic source should generally include the same information that would be listed for a print source or as much of that information as can be determined from the electronic source.  At a minimum, the citation should include three elements: document title or description; date (date of publication or date of retrieval); and web address (uniform resource locator). In addition to these three elements, authors' names should be included whenever possible (often it is not!).

Web retrieval information is typically included at the end of the citation.  If a uniform resource locator (web address) is used in a citation, care should be taken to transcribe the address exactly as found on the Internet to aid others in locating the site.  Periods should not be added to citations ending in a uniform resource locator to prevent confusion on the part of the reader.  If it becomes necessary to break a long web address across two or more lines, APA Style recommends making breaks after the / symbol or before periods.  Hyphens should not be added when breaking web addresses.

A reference list prepared using APA Style should be double-spaced both within and between entries. The second and subsequent lines of an entry should be indented five spaces.

Included below are sample formats for citing Internet and electronic resources using the APA Style.  These examples illustrate commonly encountered sources.  Refer to the style manual or the style manual web page for complete documentation.

The U.S. Census Bureau web site is an excellent Internet

resource for data on employment in various sectors of the U.S.

economy (http://www.census.gov).

Specific parts of a web site
If a specific part of a web site is used as a resource, the part should be cited in the reference list rather than in the text using the following format.  Examples include a page or pages of a web site, a chapter or section of a web publication, a technical or research report, and proceedings of meetings or symposia.  Web retrieval information in these citations should be as descriptive as possible to best aid others in locating the same online sources.

Author's name and date are identified on the site

MacDonald, J.  (2001, June 8). Suggested sources for a position paper.

Retrieved August 10, 2001, from Illinois State University, Milner

Library, Library Instruction Web site:

http://www.mlb.ilstu.edu/ressubj/subject/general/suggsrc.htm

Author's name and date are omitted from the site

Suggested sources for a position paper. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10,

2001, from Illinois State University, Milner Library, Library

Instruction Web site:

http://www.mlb.ilstu.edu/ressubj/subject/general/suggsrc.htm

Brown, S.G.,& David, S.  (2000).  Putting a new face on self-sufficiency

programs.  AmericanJournal of Public Health, 90, 1383-1384. 

Retrieved August 10, 2001, from PsycINFO database.

Articles also available in print
The citation format used in this situation varies depending on whether the article is exactly the same in print and electronic versions or whether the two versions differ in format, contents, or page numbering.

Electronic and print versions are identical

Heimlich, R., & Anderson, W. (2001, August).

Development at and beyond the urban fringe: Impacts

on agriculture [Electronic version]. Agricultural

Outlook, 15-18.

Electronic and print versions differ

Haskins, R.  (2001).  Giving is not enough: Work and

work supports are reducing poverty.  Brookings

Review, 19, 13-15. Retrieved August 10, 2001, from

http://www.brook.edu/PUB/REVIEW/REV_DES.HTM

 Articles not otherwise available in print

Fine, K.  (2001, June).  The question of realism. 

Philosophers’ Imprint, 1, Article 001001.  Retrieved

August 10, 2001, from

http://www.umich.edu/~philos/Imprint/browse.html