How do I cite an online course in OSCOLA?

To cite an online course in OSCOLA (5th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What does the in-text citation look like for an online course in OSCOLA?

In OSCOLA, the in-text citation for the example above is Ines Duarte, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students” (OpenLearn, 2024) accessed January 10, 2026.

How to Cite an Online Course in OSCOLA (5th edition)

Learn how to cite online courses and MOOCs (Coursera, edX, Udemy, FutureLearn) in OSCOLA format (5th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

OSCOLA Bibliography Format

Here is the standard OSCOLA format for citing an online course in your bibliography:

OSCOLA Example for an Online Course

A complete OSCOLA reference for an online course, formatted by the official OSCOLA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Duarte I, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students” (OpenLearn, 2024) <https://www.example.org/courses/academic-writing> accessed January 10, 2026

Matching in-text citation: Ines Duarte, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students” (OpenLearn, 2024) <https://www.example.org/courses/academic-writing> accessed January 10, 2026.

The OSCOLA output generated on this site follows the 4th-edition CSL style, because no 5th-edition CSL style has been published in the Citation Style Language repository yet. Adjust it by hand: replace any ibid with the short name and (n X), use the 5th-edition court identifiers, put an Act's short form in single quotation marks, and prefer a persistent link or DOI to an access date

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your online course.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the OSCOLA (5th edition) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match OSCOLA requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model.

CSL style record: oscola.csl

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an online course in OSCOLA?: To cite an online course in OSCOLA (5th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the OSCOLA format for an online course citation?: The OSCOLA format for an online course is: Duarte I, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students” (OpenLearn, 2024) <https://www.example.org/courses/academic-writing> accessed January 10, 2026
What does the in-text citation look like for an online course in OSCOLA?: In OSCOLA, the in-text citation for the example above is Ines Duarte, “Academic Writing for Graduate Students” (OpenLearn, 2024) <https://www.example.org/courses/academic-writing> accessed January 10, 2026.