How to Cite Wikipedia
Start your entry with the Wikipedia entry title., Include the date, if it is available., Write the words "In Wikipedia.", Follow with the retrieval date., End with the URL.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start your entry with the Wikipedia entry title.
When citing Wikipedia in APA style, first list the name of the article.
You do not need to use quotes or italics.
Simply write down the article's title followed by a period.
For example, if you were citing an article on Jimmy Carter the beginning your citation would look like this:
Jimmy Carter., In APA style, it's customary to include the date an online source was published or last modified.
If you cannot find the date, you would simply write "n.d." in parenthesis after the entry title.
After the date, add a period.For most Wikipedia entries, there will not be an applicable date of publication, because it is edited regularly.Returning to our example, your citation would look like this:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.). , In APA style, it's customary to mention where you found an electronic source.
When citing Wikipedia, you would write "In Wikipedia," italicizing the word "Wikipedia." Then add a period.
Let's return to our example to illustrate.
Our citation should read as follows:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia. , This is the date you accessed the information.
Use the word "Retrieved" and then write the date.
In APA style, the date is written "Month Date, Year." For example, if you retrieved your source on the 15th of October in 2015, you would write, "October 15,
2015." Add a comma after the date.To illustrate, here is what our example would look like so far:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia.
Retrieved October 15, 2015, , After the comma at the end of the date, write "from" and then include the full URL of the Wikipedia page.
In our example, our final citation would read as follows:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia.
Retrieved October 15, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter -
Step 2: Include the date
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Step 3: if it is available.
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Step 4: Write the words "In Wikipedia."
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Step 5: Follow with the retrieval date.
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Step 6: End with the URL.
Detailed Guide
When citing Wikipedia in APA style, first list the name of the article.
You do not need to use quotes or italics.
Simply write down the article's title followed by a period.
For example, if you were citing an article on Jimmy Carter the beginning your citation would look like this:
Jimmy Carter., In APA style, it's customary to include the date an online source was published or last modified.
If you cannot find the date, you would simply write "n.d." in parenthesis after the entry title.
After the date, add a period.For most Wikipedia entries, there will not be an applicable date of publication, because it is edited regularly.Returning to our example, your citation would look like this:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.). , In APA style, it's customary to mention where you found an electronic source.
When citing Wikipedia, you would write "In Wikipedia," italicizing the word "Wikipedia." Then add a period.
Let's return to our example to illustrate.
Our citation should read as follows:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia. , This is the date you accessed the information.
Use the word "Retrieved" and then write the date.
In APA style, the date is written "Month Date, Year." For example, if you retrieved your source on the 15th of October in 2015, you would write, "October 15,
2015." Add a comma after the date.To illustrate, here is what our example would look like so far:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia.
Retrieved October 15, 2015, , After the comma at the end of the date, write "from" and then include the full URL of the Wikipedia page.
In our example, our final citation would read as follows:
Jimmy Carter. (n.d.).
In Wikipedia.
Retrieved October 15, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter
About the Author
Betty Barnes
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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