The Github website should be cited according to the APA style guide when used in research papers. The full reference information for the website should be included in the References section of the paper, and in-text citations should use the author(s) name and the year of publication. For example: (GitHub, Inc., 2016).
How do you cite a repository or organization on GitHub?
Organizations and repositories on GitHub can be cited using the same basic format as a website citation. Include the author (organization or user), date, and title of the work, along with a URL. If no date is given for the work, use “n.d.” for “no date.” For example: (GitHub, Inc., n.d.). If you’re citing a specific project or repository on GitHub, you can include this information after the title. For example: (GitHub, Inc., n.d., Apache HTTP Server). If you’re citing a specific file on GitHub, you can include this information after the title. For example: (GitHub, Inc., n.d., file.txt).
GitHub also offers a tool to generate citations in several different formats, including MLA, APA, and Chicago. To use the tool, navigate to the page for the repository or organization you want to cite and click on the “cite this” link on the right side of the page. This will open a pop-up with a list of citation formats. Select the format you want, and the tool will generate a citation for you. Citations in APA format are “GitHub, Inc. (2016). GitHub Website”, retrieved from https://github.com , “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). Apache HTTP Server.” , retrieved from https://github.com/apache/httpd” , “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). file.txt.” retrieved from https://github.com/username/repositoryname/blob/master/file.txt and “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). Citing GitHub in APA Style.”, retrieved from https://help.github.com/articles/citing-github-in-apa-style/. What if there’s no author listed on the GitHub page then on the GitHub page you’re citing, use the username of the organization or user that owns the repository as the author. For example: (GitHub, Inc., n.d.).
Where to find more information about using Github for citations
For more information about using Github for citations, check out the following resources such as “The APA Style Blog: How to Cite Social Media in APA Style” , “The OWL at Purdue University: Citing Web Pages in APA Format”, “GitHub Help: Citing GitHub in MLA format”, “GitHub Help: Citing GitHub in APA format” , “GitHub Help: Citing GitHub in Chicago style”, “The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Citing Web Pages in MLA Format”, and “The Purdue Online Writing Lab: MLA Formatting and Style Guide.”
Examples of how to cite different types of content on Github
For examples of how to cite different types of content on GitHub, check out the following resources: “The OWL at Purdue University: Citing Webpages in APA Format”, “GitHub Help: Citing GitHub in MLA format”, and “GitHub Help: Citing GitHub in APA format.”
As a researcher, you may find yourself using GitHub for your work. Here’s how to cite it using the APA style guide. GitHub offers a tool to generate citations in several different formats, including MLA, APA, and Chicago. To use the tool, navigate to the page for the repository or organization you want to cite and click on the “cite this” link on the right side of the page. This will open a pop-up with a list of citation formats. Select the format you want, and the tool will generate a citation for you. Citations in APA format are “GitHub, Inc. (2016). GitHub Website”, retrieved from https://github.com , “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). Apache HTTP Server.” , retrieved from https://github.com/apache/httpd” , “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). file.txt.” retrieved from https://github.com/username/repositoryname/blob/master/file.txt and “GitHub, Inc. (n.d.). Citing GitHub in APA Style.”, retrieved from https://help.github.com/articles/citing-github-in-apa-style/. What if there’s no author listed on the GitHub page then on the GitHub page you’re citing, use the username of the organization or user that owns the repository as the author. For example: (GitHub, Inc., n.d.).
