In many or even most cases, it will be necessary to manually enter a new reference in EndNote if you are trying to cite a web page or website. Keep in mind that Web sites can be tricky to cite because information is not always consistent or clear. (Click here for a short video titled "Adding a Manual Reference to EndNote.")
In an EndNote library, go to References and choose New Reference. In the blank reference, use the "Reference Type" pull-down menu to change the selection from the default "Journal Article" to "Web Page." Type or paste in as much of the following information as you can ascertain (see screenshot below):
- Author - If there are one or more personal names associated with the specific page or article you are citing, enter them using the format "Smith, Sandra B." Use a return between each person's name. If there is no individual named, you can use the organization as the author, such as "American Cancer Society" followed by a comma. (This is to prevent EndNote from interpreting this as first/last names, which would erroneously result in a "person" named Society A.C.)
- Title - If the article has its own title, use that. If not, use the name of the overall Web page. If there is not an obvious name, look at the URL for a clue. You may end up using the organization's name if no title is apparent.
- Year - If the article is dated, use that year. If it is not, look for a copyright year at the bottom of the Web page. If none is given, enter "n.d." (for "no date").
- Access Date - Enter the month, day, and year you looked at the Web page (e.g., April 5, 2014).
- URL - Copy and paste the URL from your browser address bar.
Here is a sample Web page citation in several different format styles. Remember that when you change the style in EndNote, it does the work of changing how the citation will look, based on the information you entered in your blank reference.
- National Cancer Institute. Cruciferous vegetables and cancer prevention. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet?redirect=true. Accessed December 17, 2018.
National Cancer Institute. (2012). Cruciferous vegetables and cancer prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/diet/cruciferous-vegetables
"Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer Prevention." Cancer Causes and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, 7 June 2012, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet?redirect=true.