Take a look at this Web page excerpt and consider
which of the following candidates you would use as the title for the
page in your citation:
| 1. As the largest heading at the
top of the page, this banner would seem to be the logical choice
for title. However, while this is the sponsoring organization and
the name of the overall Web site, as a title it is essentially
irrelevant to the page’s contents, which is a style guide for
online sources |
 |
2. This title is highlighted on the
navigation bar and appears at the top of the page’s content making
it the most likely candidate for Web page title. However, the
abbreviation, CGOS, is essentially meaningless and would make it
hard for a reader to understand what this page is about. |
|
 |
 |
|
navigation bar |
title at top
of content |
< |
3. The filename for this particular page appears at
the top of the browser window. Columbia Guide to Online
Style is a meaningful title anyone reading the citation would
understand. |
 |
In writing the title for a citation to this Web page I would
do one of the following:
- use the filename —Columbia
Guide to Online Style,
- alter the title on the page to be more meaningful
— Basic <Columbia Guide
to Online Style,
- create a title, subtitle relationship
— Columbia Guide to Online
Style: Basic CGOS Style, or
- use a parent publication format
— “Columbia Guide to Online Style,”
Columbia University Press or
“Basic CGOS Style,” Columbia Guide
to Online Style.
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