How to Find the Author of a Website

If you're writing a report or working on a project that requires citations, it's important to identify the author or owner of a website. However, this can sometimes be tricky, especially if the website you're researching is not the original source of the article. There are several places to look for the author of a website, but if you're unable to determine it, you can still cite the site.

Check the beginning and end of the article. Many websites, especially those that feature contributions from various staff or other writers, often display the author's name at the start or end of the article. This is the first place to look when trying to find the author's name.

Find the website's copyright information. Some websites display the author's name next to the copyright details at the bottom of the page. This could be the name of the company controlling the site rather than the actual author.

Look for the 'Contact' or 'About Us' page. If the page you're viewing doesn't show the author and the site is reputable, it's likely that the content was written with the permission of the company or entity operating the site. This information can be treated as the author if no specific writer is listed.

Ask the owner. If you can't find contact information, try emailing the website or article owner to inquire about the author. There's no guarantee you'll get a response, but it may be worth a try.

Use a text excerpt to search on Google for the original author. If the website you're viewing does not respect copyright, the content might have been copied from another source. Copy and paste a paragraph you're reading into Google to see if you can find the original author.

Look up the website's author on WHOIS - the domain registration database. You can attempt to find the website's owner here. This method isn't always effective because the owner is usually not the author, and many owners and companies use privacy services to hide their information.

• Visit
  whois.icann.org and enter the website's URL into the search field.
• Check the 'Registrant Contact' section for the domain registrar's details. You may also try contacting the owner through a proxy email if the registration details are hidden.

Find the title of the page or article. You'll need the title of the current page or article to make a proper citation. Even if it's just a blog post, the title is essential.

Find the website's name. Along with the article's title, you'll also need the website's name. For example: the article title might be 'How to Find the Author of a Website' and the website name could be 'Mytour.'

Try to find the publisher. This is the name of the company, organization, or person who produced or sponsored the website. While this may be the same as the website's title, it's important to verify. For instance, a health organization may run a website specifically about cardiovascular health.

Look for the date the website or article was published. This information is not always visible, but if it's available, you should try to find the publication date.

Identify the version number if possible (Modern Language Association MLA style). If the article or publication includes a volume or edition number, ensure you note this information for your MLA citation.

Obtain the URL of the webpage or article (for American Psychological Association APA and older MLA formats). Depending on the citation style you're using (and your instructor's preference), you may need the URL of the webpage or article.

• MLA7 no longer requires URLs for websites. Only the article title and website name are sufficient. Confirm with your instructor if you're using the MLA citation style.

Find the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for articles in academic journals (APA style). When citing an online academic journal, include the DOI in place of the URL. This ensures that readers can always access the article, even if the URL changes:

• For most publications, you can find the DOI at the top of the article. You might need to click on an 'Article' button or something related to the publisher. The full article will open, showing the DOI at the top.
• You can look up the DOI using CrossRef's service at (crossref.org). Enter the article title or author to find the DOI.

Create the citation using the available information. After collecting all the information you can (even if the author’s name is missing), you can begin drafting the citation. Use the following formats (skip the 'Author' field if the author is unknown):

• MLA: Author <Last Name, First Name, Initial of Middle Name>. "Article Title". Website Title. Edition. Website Publisher, Publication Date. Web. Access Date.
  • Use 'n.p.' if there is no publisher and 'n.d.' if there is no publication date.
• APA: Author <Last Name, First Initial>. Article Title. (Publication Date). Website Title, Issue/Volume Number, Pages Referenced. Retrieved from <Full URL or DOI>