How to Cite wikiHow

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Updated: May 19, 2019 | References

If you're writing a paper or preparing a presentation, you may need to cite wikiHow as a source. Generally, you can cite wikiHow the same as you would cite any other website. However, you will have to make some accommodations since wikiHow pages are continually updated by a community of editors. The specific format you use will differ depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation method.

Method One of Three:
MLA

  1. 1
    Start with the title of the page in quotation marks. In a typical MLA citation, you'll list the author's name first. However, since wikiHow pages are written and edited by the wikiHow community, there generally isn't a specific author name. Instead, start your citation with the title of the page. Place a period at the end of the title.[1]
    • Example: "How to Motivate Yourself."
  2. 2
    List the name of the website in italics. An MLA citation typically includes publication information after the title. In the case of a wikiHow page, the website wikiHow is considered the publisher. Since wikiHow pages are constantly updated, you won't need a date of publication. Place a comma after the name of the website.[2]
    • Example: "How to Motivate Yourself." wikiHow,
  3. 3
    Include the URL of the specific page you're citing. Following the comma after the name of the website, include the URL for the page. You don't need the "http://" portion of the URL, you can simply start with "www." The URL should not be italicized. Place a period after the URL.[3]
    • Example: "How to Motivate Yourself." wikiHow, www.wikihow.com/Motivate-Yourself.
  4. 4
    Provide the date you accessed the page. Since wikiHow pages can be edited at any time, the last piece of your citation lets your readers know when you accessed the page for the purposes of your research. Place the day of the month first, followed by the full name of the month, and then the year.[4]
    • Example: Example: "How to Motivate Yourself." wikiHow, www.wikihow.com/Motivate-Yourself. Accessed 9 August 2018.
  5. 5
    Use a shortened version of the page title for in-text citations. MLA uses a parenthetical in-text citation format with the last name of the author and the page number where the information can be found. Since wikiHow pages have neither an author or a page number, include the title of the page in quotation marks. Use enough key words that a reader could go directly to the full citation on your Works Cited page.[5]
    • Example: ("Motivate Yourself")
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Method Two of Three:
APA

  1. 1
    Begin your citation with the title of the page. APA citations typically begin with the author's name. However, since wikiHow articles have no specific author, you'll start with the title of the page. Use sentence-style capitalization, capitalizing only the initial word and any proper nouns. Place a period after the full title of the page.[6]
    • Example: How to motivate yourself.
  2. 2
    Use an abbreviation to indicate there is no specific publication date. Typically, the author's name (or title) would be followed by the year of publication in parentheses. However, since wikiHow articles are continually updated, there is no year of publication. Instead, use the abbreviation "n.d." in parentheses. Place a period after the parentheses.[7]
    • Example: How to motivate yourself. (n.d.).
  3. 3
    Include the date you retrieved the page and the name of the website. Since wikiHow pages can change, your readers need to be able to access the same page you did when you were doing your research. Use the word "retrieved" and then include the date in month-day-year format. After the date, provide the name of the website itself. Place a colon after the website name.[8]
    • Example: How to motivate yourself. (n.d.). Retrieved August 19, 2018 from wikiHow:
  4. 4
    Provide a direct link to the page after the colon. Your APA citation ends with a full URL for the wikiHow article you want to cite. Although this is the end of your citation, do not place a period at the end of the URL. Otherwise, your readers might mistakenly assume it is part of the URL.[9]
    • Example: How to motivate yourself. (n.d.). Retrieved August 19, 2018 from wikiHow: https://www.wikihow.com/Motivate-Yourself
  5. 5
    Use the title of the page for in-text parenthetical citations. APA uses author-date parenthetical citations in the text of a paper. Since wikiHow articles don't have a single author, use the title of the page instead. Only the initial word and any proper nouns should be capitalized. Place a comma after the title, then include the abbreviation "n.d." since wikiHow pages don't have a date of publication.[10]
    • Example: (How to motivate yourself, n.d.)
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Method Three of Three:
Chicago Style

  1. 1
    Start the bibliography entry with the name of the website. When using Chicago style, the bibliography entry is formatted differently from any footnotes you use to reference the page in text. The bibliography entry begins with the name of the website as the publisher of the article. Place a period after the name of the website.[11]
    • Example: wikiHow.
  2. 2
    Provide the full title of the article in quotation marks. After the name of the webpage (standing in for the publisher), include the full title of the article you want to cite. Use title case, capitalizing nouns and verbs. This is the same capitalization style used by wikiHow, so you can copy the title directly as it appears on the website. Place a period after the article title, inside the quotation marks.[12]
    • Example: wikiHow. "How to Motivate Yourself."
  3. 3
    Include the date you accessed the page. Since wikiHow pages may be changed at any time, the next part of your bibliographic citation lets your readers know when you looked at the page. Use month-day-year format, and place a period after the date.[13]
    • Example: wikiHow. "How to Motivate Yourself." Accessed August 19, 2018.
  4. 4
    Close your bibliographic entry with a direct URL. After the date you accessed the page, include a full URL along with the "http://" so that it serves as a direct link to the article you're citing. Place a period at the end of the URL.[14]
    • Example: wikiHow. "How to Motivate Yourself." Accessed August 19, 2018. https://www.wikihow.com/Motivate-Yourself.
  5. 5
    Reverse the website name and article title in footnotes. When citing the wikiHow page within your paper, Chicago style uses footnotes. Unlike bibliographic entries, the footnote starts with the title of the article, followed by the name of the website. You will also use commas between the parts of the citation, rather than periods.[15]
    • Example: "How to Motivate Yourself," wikiHow, accessed August 19, 2018, https://www.wikihow.com/Motivate-Yourself.
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Warnings

  • Particularly if writing a paper in an academic setting, check with your instructor to make sure wikiHow is an acceptable source before using it for your paper.
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About This Article

Co-Authored By:
wikiHow Staff Editor
This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Together, they cited information from 15 references.
4 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 8
Updated: May 19, 2019
Views: 3,817
Categories: Citation

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