Referencing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website in APA style is crucial when citing information from this authoritative source. By adhering to the specific guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association, you can ensure the credibility and accuracy of your research. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to reference the CDC website in APA style, ensuring that your citations are consistent and easy for readers to follow.
When citing a specific CDC web page, start by listing the author or organization responsible for the page’s content. If the author is not provided, use “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” as the author. Next, include the year of publication, which is typically found in the footer or copyright notice of the web page. Lastly, provide the website address or URL in italics.
In-text citations are equally important when referencing the CDC website. When paraphrasing or directly quoting information, briefly describe the content being cited and include the publication year and website address in parentheses. For instance, “(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023)” would indicate that the information came from a CDC web page published in 2023. By following these formatting guidelines, you can effectively reference the CDC website in APA style, contributing to the integrity and academic rigor of your research.
Creating the Reference List Citation
For a citation from the CDC website, include the following elements in the reference list:
- Author: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Title: Specify the title of the specific page or document you are citing.
- Date: Include the publication date or last update date.
- Publisher: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- URL: Provide the full web address of the page or document.
Here is an example of a CDC reference list citation:
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Author | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Title | COVID-19 Vaccines |
| Date | December 28, 2023 |
| Publisher | United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| URL | https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html |
In-Text Citation:
When citing the CDC website in the text of your paper, use the following format:
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [year of publication])
For example:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023), COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
Including the Publication Date
When referencing a publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, it is important to include the publication date as part of the citation. This date is typically found at the bottom of the page, either in parentheses or in the meta tags of the web page.
Determining the Publication Date
To find the publication date for a CDC publication, follow these steps:
- Scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Look for a note that says “Posted on [date]” or “Last Reviewed on [date]” or “Updated on [date]”. If no publication date is listed, look for a copyright date.
- If the publication date is not specifically stated on the page, you can check the meta tags of the web page. To do this, press Ctrl+U (Windows) or Cmd+U (Mac) to view the page source. Look for a tag that says “DC.Date” or “DCTERMS.dateIssued”. The value of this tag will be the publication date.
Example of a Citation with Publication Date
The following is an example of a citation for a CDC publication with a publication date:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 24).
COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself & Others.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Additional Notes
When citing a CDC publication without a publication date, use the copyright date instead. If neither a publication date nor a copyright date is available, use the date you accessed the website.
Other elements of the APA citation for a CDC website publication include:
| Element | How to Find Information |
|---|---|
| Author | Typically not listed for CDC publications |
| Title | The title of the page or document |
| Publisher | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| URL | The full URL of the webpage |
Referencing a Specific Page
When citing a specific page from the CDC website, follow these steps:
-
Locate the page’s URL: Copy the full web address from the browser’s address bar.
-
Determine the authors: If the page has authors, their names will appear at the top or bottom.
-
Identify the page title: The page title is usually displayed at the top of the page.
-
Determine the date of publication: The publication date may be listed at the top or bottom of the page.
-
Check for a DOI (Digital Object Identifier): If available, the DOI will be a unique identifier for the page.
-
Create the in-text citation:
- For a page with authors: (Author, Date, Page Title)
- For a page without authors: (CDC, Date, Page Title)
-
Construct the reference list entry:
APA Element Example Authors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023) Year 2023 Title COVID-19: Vaccines URL https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html DOI (if available)
Example:
In-text citation: (CDC, 2023, COVID-19: Vaccines)
Reference list entry:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). COVID-19: Vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
Citing a Document with Multiple Authors
When citing a document with multiple authors in APA style, the following format is used:
Last name of first author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from URL
For example:
Smith, J. (2023). The impact of climate change on human health. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/publications.html
If the document has more than 20 authors, list the first 19 authors followed by an ellipsis (…) and the last author.
For example:
Smith, J., Jones, M., Brown, C., … Doe, J. (2023). The impact of climate change on human health. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/publications.html
Table 1: Citing a Document with Multiple Authors
| Number of Authors | Citation Format |
|---|---|
| 1-19 | Last name of first author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from URL |
| 20+ | Last name of first author, Initials., Jones, M., Brown, C., … Doe, J. (Year of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from URL |
**Note:** If the document is a web page, the URL should be included in the citation. If the document is a PDF or other file type, the URL should be followed by the specific file name.
Referencing a PDF or HTML Document
To reference a PDF or HTML document from the CDC website in APA style, follow these steps:
- In the text of your paper, cite the document using the author-date system. For example: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).
- In the reference list, include the following information:
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Author | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Date | Year of publication (2023) |
| Title | Title of the document |
| URL | URL of the document |
- If the document has no author, start the reference with the title.
- If the document has no date, use “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year.
- If the document is a PDF, include the file extension “.pdf” after the URL.
- If the document is an HTML document, include the file extension “.html” after the URL.
- Format the reference list entries in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name.
- Indicate the page or section of the document that you are referencing, if applicable.
- If the document is available in multiple formats, list the format that you accessed.
- Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available.
Additional Examples
**Reference to a PDF document:**
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). COVID-19 Vaccination. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html.pdf
**Reference to an HTML document:**
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Monkeypox. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html
How to Reference a CDC Website in APA
When referencing a website from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in APA style, follow these steps:
- **Start with the author.** If the website has an author, list their name in the same format as you would for a book or journal article. If there is no author, skip to step 2.
- **Include the date of publication.** Find the date the website was last updated or reviewed. This is usually listed at the bottom of the page.
- **Write the title of the website in italics.** Capitalize the first word of the title and all proper nouns.
- **Include the URL of the website.** Make sure to include the “https://” prefix.
Here is an example of a reference for a CDC website:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 11). *COVID-19: Symptoms and Testing*. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
People Also Ask
How do I cite a fact sheet from the CDC?
To cite a fact sheet from the CDC, follow the steps outlined above. Use the title of the fact sheet as the title of the reference.
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To cite a CDC report, follow the steps outlined above. Use the title of the report as the title of the reference.
How do I cite a CDC webpage?
To cite a CDC webpage, follow the steps outlined above. Use the title of the webpage as the title of the reference.
