Determine the type of electronic resource to be cited. Although there is a general format common to electronic resources, the precise format varies with the type of resource.
Begin with the general format for Internet articles: "Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume number(issue number if available). Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/URL/" (Purdue OWL, 2011) This basic format will work for most online resources, though there are variations.
Cite an online article that is not part of a magazine by first listing the author, if available, then the title of the article followed by the name of the website and the full URL. If the information is subject to change, such as blogs or wikis, include the date of retrieval at the end of the citation. Changes in Internet sources are likely.
Cite an electronic database in a similar manner, but include the document number for the source and the name of the database in which it was found. When citing a source from an electronic database that uses document numbers, it is not necessary to include the date of retrieval.
Place the full citation in a footnote, or end note if that is the method the instructor prefers. In the body of the document, use a superscript numeral to mark the point of reference if using footnotes or end notes, and number the references at the bottom of the page or at the end of the document accordingly. End notes and footnotes are commonly used for formal papers.
Use in-text citations to connect the information you use with the resource if that is the method the instructor prefers. An in-text citation may look like this: "According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199). " (Purdue OWL, 2011) In-text citations are used in less formal professional writing.