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Writing

General Research Information

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Resources on Evaluating Sources

Resources for Citing Sources

Formatting And Style Guides

Hyperlink Rules and Shortening a long DOI or URL

  • The MLA recommends including URLs in works-cited-list entries for online works, but it also notes their drawbacks, such as inaccessibility, clunkiness, and limited use in a printed work.
  • In MLA works cited entries, hyperlinks to URLs and DOIs are optional.
  • The MLA Handbook notes that one benefit of URLs is that they "may be clickable in digital formats" (48). However, when the document is printed, the hyperlink serves no purpose.
  • Writers should list the URL they see in the browser unless the source identifies a DOI or permalink associated with it.
  • MLA documentation has two main goals: it should testify to the veracity of your research and provide readers with information about your source that allows them to retrace your steps. Ensuring the enduring availability and retrievability of a source is not the primary objective of documentation. You would document a performance, even though your readers can't attend it.
  • If a URL is inaccessible, the root of the URL may lead to a homepage where readers can locate the source.
  • A URL is too long if it hinders the readability of the works-cited-list entry. As a general guideline, a URL running more than three full lines is likely too long.
  • in MLA format, writers are allowed to truncate a URL in one specific way (by omitting the protocol and //). If it needs to be shortened further, retain the host, as it may allow readers to evaluate the site and search for the source.
  • As long as the URL is accurately recorded, writers of unpublished works should not worry about how a URL breaks. Publishers vary in their practice of breaking URLs.  In its own publications, the MLA breaks URLs before a period and before or after any other punctuation or symbol (e.g., /, //, _, @) They do not break URLs after a hyphen to avoid ambiguity.

Example:

The shortened version of the following URL:

go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sort=RELEVANCE&docType=Journal+article&tabID

=T003&prodId=MLA&searchId=R1&resultListType=
RESULT_LIST&searchType=BasicSearchForm&
contentSegment=&
currentPosition=3&searchResultsType=
SingleTab&inPS=true&userGroupName=mla&docId=GALE
%7CN2810522710&contentSet=GALE%
7CN2810522710

would be:

go.galegroup.com/ps.

This still allows the reader to access the host so they can evaluate the site or search for an article.

(MLA Handbook, 9th ed., 2021)

Hyperlink Rules and Shortening a long DOI or URL

  • In APA format, present both DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks (i.e., beginning with “http:” or “https:”).
  • Shortening a long or complex DOI or URL is optional.
  • If you wish to shorten a DOI, use the shortDOI Service: http://shortdoi.org/. The service will either create a new shortDOI, or return the existing shortDOI if one has already been created.

Example:

Nielsen, K. S., Clayton, S., Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Capstick, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2020). How psychology can help limit climate change. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/ggptzz

"Any shortened URL is acceptable in a reference as long as you check the link to ensure it takes you to the correct location."

Example:

Ostrovsky, Y., & Picot, G. (2020). Innovation in immigrant-owned firms in Canada. Statistics Canada. https://tinyurl.com/y9f6kzm6

 

(Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 300)

Shortening a long DOI or URL

Shortening a long or complex DOI or URL is optional.

If you wish to shorten a DOI, use the shortDOI Service: http://shortdoi.org/. The service will either create a new shortDOI, or return the existing shortDOI if one has already been created.

Example:

Nielsen, K. S., Clayton, S., Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Capstick, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2020). How psychology can help limit climate change. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/ggptzz

"Any shortened URL is acceptable in a reference as long as you check the link t ensure it takes you to the correct location."

Example:

Ostrovsky, Y., & Picot, G. (2020). Innovation in immigrant-owned firms in Canada. Statistics Canada. https://tinyurl.com/y9f6kzm6

(Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 300)

Practice with MLA and APA Citation