16. Web and online sources
Examine web pages and online content with care before you include them in academic writing. One acceptable use of web pages is to access primary source materials.
16.1 General Principles
When you cite web sources, include the elements below where they are available:
- Author (if available)
- Title of page or article
- Website name
- Publication date (if available)
- Access date (for undated or frequently updated content)
- Full URL. Make sure that the URL is in black font with no underline.
16.2 Web Pages with Author (Footnotes)
16.2.1 First (Full) Footnote Citation
Format:
Footnote number. Author First Name Last Name, "Title of Web Page," Website Name, publication date, accessed Month Day, Year, URL.
Examples:
- Charles H. Spurgeon, "The Down-Grade," The Sword and the Trowel, March 1887, accessed January 28, 2026, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/articles/the-down-grade/.
- Charles H. Spurgeon, "Compel Them to Come In," Spurgeon’s Sermons, sermon delivered December 5, 1858, accessed January 28, 2026, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/compel-them-to-come-in/
16.2.2 Shortened Footnote Citation
Format:
Footnote number. Author Last Name, "Shortened Title."
Examples:
- Spurgeon, "The Down-Grade."
- Spurgeon, "Compel Them to Come In."
16.3 Online Theological Resources
16.3.1 Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL)
When you cite works from CCEL, cite the original work and note that it was accessed through CCEL:
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge, accessed January 28, 2026, https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.
16.4 Bibliography (Web Sources)
16.4.1 Web Page with Author
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page or Article." Website Name. Publication date. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL
Example:
Spurgeon, Charles H. “The Down-Grade.” The Sword and the Trowel, March 1887. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/articles/the-down-grade/
16.4.2 Web Page Without Author
Format:
Organisation Name. "Title of Page." Publication date. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.
Example:
The Gospel Coalition. "What Is the Gospel?" April 10, 2018. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/what-is-the-gospel
16.5 Special Considerations
16.5.1 Access Dates
Include access dates for:
- Undated content
- Content likely to change or be updated
- Content from blogs or less formal sources
- Any source where the stability of the URL is uncertain
- Access dates can be omitted for:
- Published articles from established online journals with DOIs
- Stable institutional documents with clear publication dates
- Content that is explicitly versioned or dated
16.5.2 URL Formatting
- Include the full URL, including https://
- Do not add a period after the URL in footnotes or bibliography entries
- If a URL must break across lines, break before a slash or other punctuation mark. Never insert a hyphen