How to Cite a Blog: The 4 Most Common Formats
When you use someone else’s words in your paper, you must give credit to the original author. This is called citing your sources. When it comes to blogs, there are four most common formats that you can use: APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard. In this article, we will go over each of these formats and show you how to cite a blog post properly using each style.
How to Cite a Blog
When writing a paper or article, it is essential to give credit to the sources that you use. This is especially true as there are millions of blogs out there today. It can be easy to copy and paste text without giving any thought to the source.
Citing a blog can be tricky because there is no standard way to do it. The best approach is to use the guidelines set forth by the specific style guide you are using (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago). In general, though, you will need to include the following information: the author’s name, the title of the blog post, the name of the blog, the date of publication, and the URL.
In APA
Citing a blog post in APA format is pretty simple. Start with the author’s last name, followed by the first initial. The date of publication comes next, in parentheses. After that, include the title of the blog post in quotation marks. Finally, provide the URL of the blog post. Here’s an example:
- Smith, J. (2022, June 15). “How to cite a blog using APA format.” https://exampleblogurl.com/how-to-cite-a-blog-using-apa-format/
Remember that you only need to include the date of publication if it is available. If not, you can leave it out. Also, if you are citing a specific blog post that has multiple authors, you will need to include all of the authors’ names in the blog citation. Otherwise, use the name of the primary author.
For in-text citation, input the author’s surname and year of publication inside parentheses right after the quote. Here’s an example:
- This is an example (Smith, 2022).
In MLA
Citing a blog in MLA style is similar to citing any other online source. You will need to include the author’s name, the blog post’s title, the blog’s name, the date of publication, and the URL. Below is an example:
- Smith, John. “How to cite a blog using MLA format.” The Student Blog. 20 May 2022. https://exampleblogurl.com/how-to-cite-a-blog-using-mla-format/.
In-text citation using the MLA style is simple. You need to put the author’s surname after the quote or reference. It should look like this:
- This is an example (Smith).
In Chicago
Learning how to reference a blog using the Chicago style is simple. You’ll need to include the following information: the author of the blog, the title of the post in quotation marks, the blog’s title in italics, the date of the post, and the URL. Here’s an example of how you might format a blog citation in Chicago style:
- Smith, John. “How to cite a blog using Chicago style.” The Student Blog. May 8, 2022. https://exampleblogurl.com/how-to-cite-a-blog-using-chicago-style/
The Chicago style has a more detailed format for in-text citations. After the quote or reference, you need to indicate the author’s name, blog post title, publication title, year published, and URL. It should look something like this:
- This is an example. John Smith, ’How to cite a blog using Chicago style’ Blog, The Student Blog, 2022, https://exampleblogurl.com/how-to-cite-a-blog-using-chicago-style/.
In Harvard
The Harvard style is a popular referencing system that students and scholars use to reference blogs. The standard format for the Harvard style includes the author’s last name, followed by their first initial. If the author is unknown, simply use the blog post’s title. Next, indicate the year of publication in parentheses and the blog post’s title. Finally, provide the publication title and the URL. Check out our example below.
- Smith, J. (2022). How to cite a blog using Harvard style. [Blog] The Student Blog. Available at: https://exampleblogurl.com/how-to-cite-a-blog-using-harvard-style/.
For in-text citations, indicate the author’s surname and year of publication in parentheses. Here’s an example:
- This is an example (Smith, 2022).
Conclusion
If you’re writing a paper using blogs as sources, you may want to learn how to cite a blog post properly to give credit to the original author and avoid plagiarism.
There are a few key elements that you will need to include in your blog citation, such as the author’s name, the date of publication, and the URL. You may also need to include the blog’s name and the post’s title. Learning to cite blogs (and other sources) properly is an essential skill for any student or researcher.
How to Cite a Blog: FAQ
To be considered an academic source, a blog must meet specific criteria. It should be authored by an expert in the field. The blog should also be well researched and provide citations for all claims. Also, blogs should be updated regularly, contain current information, and be free from errors and typos.
When citing a blog in APA, you will need to include the author’s name, date of publication, and URL. There are instances when the author’s name or publication date is unavailable; in this case, begin the blog citation with the post title and use “n.d.” in place of the date.
While many bloggers enjoy the freedom to write without having to cite their sources, there are some good reasons to consider adding citations to your blog posts. For one, citing sources can help add legitimacy to your claims and give your readers confidence in your knowledge. It can also help prevent plagiarism by showing that you appropriately use information from other sources. Finally, citing sources can help make a blog post more informative and valuable for your readers by providing them with links to additional information.
A blog is a website that typically contains text, images, and links to other websites. Although blogs can be about any topic, they are commonly used to share opinions or personal experiences. In many cases, blogs are written in an informal or conversational style which is why they are not considered the most reliable sources of information.
Some blog posts are credible enough to be used as resources, and like any other source, you need to learn how to cite a blog properly before you can use them in a paper. Most blog citation styles will require you to indicate the author’s name, the blog post’s title, the date it was published, and the URL.
