Citing a Website
Any webpage, article, or blog post you found online
Find the page title
Look at the top of the browser tab or the big heading at the top of the page. That's the title of the specific page you used — not the website's name.
e.g. "How Volcanoes Form"Find the author's name
Scroll to the top or bottom of the article. Look for "By [Name]" or "Written by". If there's no author listed, that's okay — just leave it blank.
e.g. "By Sarah Jones" near the topFind the website name
This is the organization or company that owns the site — usually in the logo at the top. It's different from the page title.
e.g. "National Geographic Kids" (not just "National Geographic")Copy the URL
Click in the address bar at the top of your browser and copy the full web address. Make sure it starts with https://
e.g. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/...Record today's date
Websites can change or disappear. Write down the date you visited — this is called the "access date." You can use today's date.
🗺 Where to find each piece
📄 Example citations
No author? No problem.
Many websites don't list an author. Just leave that field blank and your citation will still be correct.
Can't find a date?
If there's no publish date, check the very bottom of the page. Some sites show a "copyright year" which you can use instead.
Wikipedia is a starting point
Teachers often say not to cite Wikipedia directly. Use it to find better sources listed in its References section at the bottom!
Common questions
Citing a Book
Printed books, e-books, and textbooks
Find the title page
Open to the very first pages of the book. The title page has the full title, the author's name, the publisher, and the year. This is your best source for all the information you need.
Write down the author's full name
In citations, we put the last name first. So "Jane Smith" becomes "Smith, Jane." If there are two authors, list both.
e.g. Smith, JaneFind the publisher and year
Flip to the copyright page — it's usually the back of the title page. You'll see the publisher's name and the copyright year (©). Use the most recent year listed.
e.g. © 2021 Scholastic Inc.Try the ISBN auto-fill ✨
Every book has an ISBN number — a long number usually printed near the barcode on the back cover. Paste it into ReadyCiteGo's "Auto-fill from ISBN" box and it will fill in all the fields for you!
ISBN is on the back cover near the barcode🗺 Where to find each piece
📄 Example citations
Use the ISBN lookup
Paste the ISBN from the back of the book and ReadyCiteGo fills everything in automatically. Saves a ton of time!
Titles go in italics
Book titles are always italicized in citations. ReadyCiteGo does this automatically — but if you're writing by hand, underline instead.
Two authors
If a book has two authors, MLA format uses: "Smith, Jane, and John Brown." The second author's name is written normally (first name first).
Common questions
Citing a YouTube Video
YouTube videos, educational clips, documentaries online
Copy the video title
Find the exact title of the video. It's shown in big text below the video player. Copy it exactly — including any capitalization and punctuation.
e.g. "How Does the Water Cycle Work?"Find the channel name
The channel name is shown below the video title, next to the channel's logo. Click on it to make sure you get the full, official channel name.
e.g. SciShow Kids (not "scishow" or "Sci Show")Find the upload date
The upload date is shown below the video, usually near the view count. It might show "3 years ago" — click on it to see the exact date.
e.g. Jan 15, 2021Copy the URL
Copy the link from your browser's address bar. A shorter link like youtu.be/... works just as well as the full youtube.com/watch?v=... link.
🗺 Where to find each piece
📄 Example citations
Use trusted channels
Channels like SciShow Kids, Crash Course Kids, TED-Ed, and National Geographic are more credible than random accounts. Your teacher will notice the difference.
It's about the uploader
In citations, we use the channel name — not the person speaking in the video, unless they're the same. "NASA" uploaded it, so "NASA" is what you list.
Common questions
Citing a Magazine or Newspaper Article
Time for Kids, Scholastic News, local newspapers, online news
Find the article title
The article title is the headline — the big title of just that one article. It's different from the magazine or newspaper name.
e.g. "Ocean Plastic: The Growing Problem" (not "Time for Kids")Find the magazine or newspaper name
This is the publication that printed the article — the magazine or newspaper's name, shown on the cover or in the website's logo.
e.g. Time for Kids, Scholastic News, The New York TimesFind the author
Look for a byline near the headline — it usually says "By [Name]." Some short magazine articles don't list an author, which is fine.
Find the volume, issue, and page numbers
In Advanced mode, you can add these. For a print magazine, the volume and issue numbers are usually on the cover. The page numbers are where the article starts and ends.
e.g. Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 12–14🗺 Where to find each piece
📄 Example citations
Article title vs. magazine name
A common mix-up: "Time for Kids" is the magazine. "Ocean Plastic" is the article inside it. You need both, in separate fields.
Online article?
If you read the article on a website, add the URL in the optional field. This helps your teacher find it.
Citing a Personal Interview
Conversations with experts, community members, or anyone you asked questions
Write down who you interviewed
Include the person's full name. If they have a title or job that's relevant (like "Dr." or "Principal"), you can include that too, but it's not required.
e.g. Dr. Maria Lopez, or Maria LopezChoose the interview type
Was it in person, on the phone, by email, or over a video call? Pick the one that matches. This goes in the citation so readers know how you talked to them.
Record the date
Write down the exact date the interview happened. If it was by email, use the date you received their reply.
e.g. March 15, 2026📄 Example citations
Take notes!
Always write down (or record with permission) what the person said. You'll need to quote or paraphrase their words accurately in your paper.
Ask permission first
Before you interview someone, ask a parent or teacher for permission. If you want to record the conversation, always ask the person being interviewed.
Email counts!
If you emailed an expert and they wrote back, that counts as an interview. Use "Email interview" as the type, and the date they replied.
Citing an Encyclopedia
Britannica, World Book, Wikipedia (as a starting point), subject encyclopedias
Find the entry (article) title
This is the specific topic you looked up — like "Photosynthesis" or "Ancient Rome." It's different from the encyclopedia's name.
e.g. "Climate Change" (not "Britannica")Find the encyclopedia name
The full name of the encyclopedia — shown in the site's logo or on the book's cover.
e.g. Encyclopædia Britannica, World Book OnlineLook for an author
Many encyclopedia entries don't have a named author — that's totally fine. If one is listed, add their name.
Copy the URL and today's date
Online encyclopedias update their articles, so always record when you visited.
🗺 Where to find each piece
📄 Example citations
Wikipedia note
Wikipedia is a great starting point but many teachers won't accept it as a final source. Use the References section at the bottom to find the original sources and cite those instead.
School databases
Your school library may give you free access to Britannica School or World Book Online — these are more credible than general Wikipedia and teachers love them.
Citing a Podcast
Audio episodes from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, NPR, or any podcast platform
Find the episode title
Each episode has its own title — different from the podcast's overall name. Look at the episode listing or the player header.
e.g. "The Science of Dreams" (not "Stuff You Should Know")Find the podcast name
The name of the overall show — shown in big text on the podcast's main page.
e.g. Stuff You Should Know, Brains On!, Wow in the WorldFind the host name and publish date
Look in the episode description or the podcast's About page. The date is usually listed with each episode.
Copy the link
Copy the URL from your browser, or use the "Share" button in the podcast app to get a direct link to the episode.
📄 Example citations
Good for research?
Podcasts from NPR, museums, universities, and science organizations (like Brains On! or Wow in the World) are credible for school research. Random podcasts may not be — check with your teacher.
Citing a Social Media Post
Tweets/X posts, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, official organization accounts
Find who posted it
Use the account's display name (like "NASA") not their handle. If it's a person, use their real name if you can find it on their profile.
e.g. NASA (not @NASA)Copy the first ~20 words of the post
Since social posts don't have formal titles, citations use the beginning of the post text as the "title."
e.g. "Today the James Webb telescope captured..."Find the exact date posted
Click on the timestamp of the post — it usually shows the full date and time.
Copy the link to the specific post
Right-click the timestamp or use the Share button to get a direct URL to that specific post — not just the account's homepage.
Stick to official accounts
For school research, only cite social media posts from official organizations (NASA, National Geographic, government agencies, museums). Random people's posts are rarely appropriate sources.
Screenshots help
Posts can be deleted. Take a screenshot of the post when you use it, just in case.
Citing a Government Document
NASA, CDC, EPA, Department of Education, Congress.gov, White House, local government sites
Find the department or agency name
Government documents are authored by the agency, not a person. Look for the department name in the page header or footer — like "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."
e.g. U.S. Department of Education, Centers for Disease ControlFind the document or page title
The title of the specific page or report you used — shown as the page heading or the browser tab text.
e.g. "Climate Kids: NASA's Eyes on the Earth"Copy the URL and access date
Government pages update frequently, so always record when you visited. Gov sites usually end in .gov which is a good sign they're trustworthy.
📄 Example citations
.gov = trustworthy
Sites ending in .gov are official U.S. government sites. They're among the most credible sources you can use for school research.
Citing a Film or TV Episode
Documentaries, movies, TV episodes, streaming content
Find the title
For a movie, use the full movie title. For a TV episode, use the episode title (and optionally the series name in the notes).
e.g. An Inconvenient Truth or "The One Where Ross Gets a Monkey"Find the director
The director's name is in the opening or closing credits. For a documentary, the director is especially important.
e.g. Davis GuggenheimFind the studio and year
The production company or distributor — shown in the opening credits or on the DVD/streaming info page. The year is the original release year, not when you watched it.
📄 Example citations
Documentaries are great sources
Documentaries made by trusted organizations (PBS, National Geographic, BBC) are legitimate research sources. Entertainment movies generally aren't, unless you're writing about the film itself.
Citing an AI Tool
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and other AI assistants
⚠️ First: check with your teacher
Some teachers don't allow AI tools as sources at all. Always ask before using AI in your research. If they say yes, citing it properly shows academic honesty.
Write down which AI tool you used
Select the tool from the dropdown — ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, etc.
Copy the exact question you asked
This is called your "prompt." Paste it in exactly as you typed it — this is what appears as the "title" in your citation.
e.g. "Explain how photosynthesis works in simple terms"Record today's date
AI tools change their answers over time, so the date you used it matters. Use today's date.
📄 Example citations
AI can make things up
AI tools sometimes give wrong information confidently. Always double-check facts from an AI against a trustworthy source like a book, encyclopedia, or .gov website.
Save your conversation
Take a screenshot of the AI's response, or copy it into a document. If your teacher asks to see it, you'll want to have it.
Citing Other Sources
Brochures, museum labels, letters, reports, pamphlets, or anything that doesn't fit another category
Find who created it
This could be a person, an organization, or a company. Look for a name on the front, the back, or at the bottom of the document.
e.g. American Red Cross, or Smith, JaneFind the title
The title or heading on the document. If it doesn't have an obvious title, create a short description in square brackets.
e.g. "2024 Annual Report" or [Museum exhibit label: Dinosaur Hall]Describe what kind of source it is
In the "Source description" field, write what type of document it is. This helps your reader understand what they'd be looking at.
e.g. Brochure, Museum label, Pamphlet, Annual report, LetterAdd any other details you have
Publisher, year, and URL if applicable. Fill in whatever you can find — a partial citation is better than none.
When in doubt, ask
If you're not sure how to cite something unusual, ask your teacher or librarian. They'd rather help you get it right than see no citation at all.
Photograph it
For physical items like museum labels or brochures, take a photo so you have a record of what it said and where you got it.
General Citation Questions
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