How to indicate the date of visit in the citation?

The date of visit, or retrieval date, should be indicated in citations for online sources lacking formal publication dates or where content is likely to change over time. This practice is recommended by major citation styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago for such dynamic sources. Key principles involve only including the retrieval date for sources without fixed publication dates (e.g., Wikipedia entries, frequently updated web pages) or formal archival versions. The standard format uses the phrase "Retrieved Month Day, Year, from" immediately preceding the URL. Ensure consistent application of the chosen style guide's specific rules regarding parentheses and punctuation. Crucially, avoid adding retrieval dates for formal publications like journal articles accessed online that have stable DOIs or publication dates. To implement this, determine if the source lacks a reliable publication date or is unstable. Locate the URL or permalink. Place the retrieval date element using the prescribed phrase and format directly before the URL within the citation reference. Common scenarios requiring this include citing wikis, live webpages, social media posts, and certain government documents. Including the retrieval date enhances credibility by allowing verification, documents access time for ephemeral content, and meets style requirements, thus preserving scholarly integrity and source traceability.