With so much information available online these days, it is vital to know how to cite online sources. In this post, then, we’re looking at how to cite a website in an essay or paper using IEEE referencing.
Referencing a Website with In-Text Citations
In IEEE referencing, you cite sources with a number in the text. These numbers each point to a different source in the reference list:
The internet relies on standardized communication protocols [1].
Number sources in the order that you first cite them. The source in the example above, for instance, would be the first source cited in the document and the first source in the reference list. And if you cite a website more than once, make sure to use the same number in each citation.
As shown above, you will usually give citations at the end of a clause before terminal punctuation. However, if you name the author in your writing, you should give the citation number immediately afterwards:
Rouse [1] identifies TCP/IP as key for networking devices.
This clearly shows the connection between author and source.
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Listing a Website in an IEEE Reference List
The reference list is where you provide full information for every source you use. If you cite a website, this means using the following format:
[#] INITIAL(S). Surname, “Page Title,” Website Name. Accessed: date of access. [Online]. Available: URL
In practice, then, the entry for an online source would look like this:
[1] M. Rouse, “TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol),” SearchNetworking. Accessed: Sept. 19, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/TCP-IP
It might not always be easy to find all this information. If a page does not name its author, though, you can use an organisational author (e.g., the publishing company or the overall website). Alternatively, if no organisational author is available, you can use the source title in the first position.
Finally, don’t forget to include a hanging indent for each line after the first.