A homepage is the first or introductory page of a Web site (NISO Z39.29).
To cite a component of a Web site, such as a specific page or pages, first determine whether or not the component can stand alone and be cited separately. Most web citations will be of "part of a website". A book or other monograph, a journal, or a database on a Web site should be cited according to the instructions for the particular type of format. If in doubt about the status of a component, cite it separately using the instructions in the appropriate chapter.
Below is a diagram showing the elements you need to cite for "part of a website."
Material Type | Reference List Example (based on Citing Medicine 2nd edition) |
EndNote (Citing Medicine) The following instructions are based on using the Citing Medicine 2 (UWA) style with EndNote 21 |
Homepage
Homepage
Homepage with title and publisher the same |
1. Gene Ontology Consortium. The Gene Ontology Resource [Internet]. [Place unknown]: Gene Ontology; c1999-2025. [Last updated 2025 Mar 16; cited 2025 Apr 8]. Available from: http://www.geneontology.org/
For more Homepage examples see Citing Medicine Ch. 25 Web Sites.
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Reference Type - Web Page Author/Title/Place Published/Publisher/Year - Read the instructions below these reference examples Type of Medium – Internet Last Update Date – use whatever word for update or revision is provided, such as updated and modified, as well as the date of last update (if supplied), eg. revised 2020 Jan 1 Year Cited – add year of access e.g. 2025 Date Cited – add month and day of access, eg. Apr 8 URL - copy and paste |
Part of Web Site
Part of a Web site with a date of publication separate from the date of the Web site
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5. Welcome to MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethseda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 1999. Heart Attack; [last updated 2025 Mar 20; cited 2025 Apr 9]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/heartattack.html
6. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School [Internet]. Boston, MA: Harvard Health Publishing; c2025. Celiac disease: Exploring four myths; 2024 Nov 6 [cited 2025 Apr 9]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/celiac-disease-exploring-four-myths-202411063079
For more examples of "part of a website", See Chapter 25B Parts of Web Sites.
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Reference Type - Web Page Author – leave this field blank Title – Add the title of the website’s homepage, e.g. Welcome to Medline Plus Type of medium – Internet Place published - e.g. Bethseda (MD). Publisher – e.g. National Library of Medicine (US). Year – Year of publication of the homepage, or the website’s copyright date, e.g. 1999 or c2025 Series title – Add the title of the part (the webpage you are using) followed by a semicolon. If you have a date of publication of the part, put it after the semicolon in this field, e.g. Heart Attack; or Celiac disease: Exploring four myths; 2024 Nov 6 Last update date – If supplied, use whatever word for update or revision is provided, such as updated or modified, as well as the date of last update, e.g. last updated 2025 Mar 20 Year cited – add year of access, e.g. 2025 Date cited – add (abbreviated) month and day of access, eg. Apr 11 URL – copy and paste |
Instructions for Year/Title/Author/Publisher/Place Published
A citation for a website or part thereof is made mainly from the information found on the homepage. Details to record:
Year
If neither the date of publication nor a date of copyright can be found or is unknown - use the date of update/revision or date cited.
If using a copyright date, place a lowercase c in front of the year - e.g. c2025.
Title
Reproduce the title as closely as possible to the wording on the screen, duplicating capitalisation. This may mean all lower case letters, capital letters within words, or run-together words.
Use a colon followed by a space to separate a title from a subtitle, unless another form of punctuation (such as a question mark, period, or an exclamation point) is already present.
Follow non-English titles with a translation when possible; place the translation in square brackets.
Author
If there is no personal author look at the top, bottom, or sidebar of the homepage for an organisational name.
Use the organisation responsible for the web page as the author.
If no author or organisation is obvious, and no ownership can be ascertained, you should question whether the page is of sufficient quality to cite in support of your research.
Organisation as Author
An organisation such as a university, society, association, corporation, or governmental body may serve as an author.
Publisher Place
Place is defined as the city where the homepage is published. If this information is not obvious, look for a "contact us" link or similar.
For example: Cambridge (MA) and Cambridge (England).
Publisher
A publisher is defined as the individual or organisation issuing the homepage. If this information is not obvious, look for a link "contact us" or similar.
Date of Access
When constructing a reference for a web site always include the date you accessed it - year month day. If the information on the web site changes after this date, you will have advised your reader that what you have cited was accurate on the date you have given.
URL
Add the URL in its entirety; do not omit http://, www, or other beginning components and end with no punctuation.
It doesn't matter if the URL is hyperlinked (i.e. blue and clickable) or not, but you should aim for consistency throughout your reference list.
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