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Citing Digital Libraries: Website Content

How to Guide for citing sources from digital libraries.

Websites Reproducing Books in HTML or Text

Recognizing When to Cite an Online Book as Web Content

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  1. Many websites reproduce books in the public domain as simple text on the web page.
  2. Publication and copyright information may be found at the bottom of the web page.
  3. If the book is displayed in html format, follow the rules for citing website content.
  4. If a book has been specifically formatted for an academic research platform, such as Gale eBooks, Oxford Reference, or Theology and Religion Online, follow the rules for citing a chapter of other part of an edited book and include all the elements for citing an e-book.
  5. If the book is formatted as a iconpdf or icon epub document, follow the rules for citing an e-book.
  6. Bibliography entries for Church documents from the Vatican website, Vatican.va, should be formatted as website content.

Guidelines for Citing Books Recreated Online in HTML or Text 

  1. When a website re-presents the text from a book in HTML or Text, cite the book as website content.
  2. if the source does not list a publication or revision date, include an access date.
  3. Books re-presented as text on a website should include the name of the website and the name of the web page.
  4. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or chapter number, if available; otherwise, omit.

Special Exceptions

The Bible, the Catechism, Church Documents, and the Summa are cited using parenthetical (in-text) citations in place of footnotes, even when cited from online sources. 

List the Bible, the Catechism, Church Documents, or the Summa in your bibliography based on the format of the online source you consulted, e-book or website content.

Online Sources for e-Books

Citation & Bibliography Examples: Website Content

Footnotes

1. Irenaeus of Lyon, “Against Heresies (Book I, Chapter 1),” Church Fathers, New Advent, para. 3, accessed April 17, 2017, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103101.htm.

2. M.R. James, trans., "The Acts of Paul," Apocrypha, Early Christian Writings, accessed May 1, 2017, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actspaul.html.

3. G.K. Chesterton, "Alarms and Discursions," The G.K. Chesterton Collection, Library of Catholic Christian Classics, accessed November 14, 1964, https://www.ecatholic2000.com/gk/disc/alarms.shtml.

4. "Second Council of Nicaea - 787 A.D.," Church Councils, Papal Encyclicals Online, accessed June 1, 2019, https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum07.htm.

Shortened Footnotes

4. Irenaeus, "Against Heresies (Book I, Chapter 1)."

5. Early Christian Writings, "The Acts of Paul."

6. Chesterton, "Alarms and Discursions."

7. Papal Encyclicals Online, "Second Council of Nicaea - 787.A.D."

In-Text (Parenthetical) Citations - for Church Documents Only

First occurence (Lumen Gentium, 39) or (Fratelli Tutti, 14).

Successive occurences (LG, 24) or (FT, 2).

Bibliography Entries (in alphabetical order)

Chesterton, G.K. "Alarms and Discursions." The G.K. Chesterton Collection, Library of Catholic Christian Classics. Accessed November 14, 1964. https://www.ecatholic2000.com/gk/disc/alarms.shtml.

Irenaeus of Lyon. “Against Heresies (Book I, Chapter 1).” Church Fathers. New Advent. Accessed April 17, 2017. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103101.htm.

Francis. "Fratelli Tutti." Encyclicals. The Holy See. October 3, 2020. Accessed, August 21, 2023. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html

James, M.R. trans. "The Acts of Paul." Apocrypha. Early Christian Writings. Accessed May 1, 2017. https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspaul.html.

Paul VI. "Lumen Gentium." Second Vatican Council. The Holy See.  November 24, 1964. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html

Papal Encyclicals Online. "Second Council of Nicaea - 787 A.D." Church Councils. Accessed June 1, 2019. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum07.htm.

For more examples, see 14.205–10 in The Chicago Manual of Style. For multimedia, including live performances, see 14.261–68.