Cite

How to cite HealthArchive.ca

Pragmatic citation guidance for archived snapshots and compare views.

Important note

These citations refer to archived content — not current guidance or medical advice.

For up-to-date recommendations, always consult the official source website.

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1) Cite a snapshot

Recommended format

HealthArchive.ca Project. “<Page title>” (snapshot from <capture date/time>). Archived copy of <source organization> web page (<original URL>). Accessed <access date>. Available from: <HealthArchive snapshot URL>.

Example

HealthArchive.ca Project. “COVID-19 epidemiology update: Canada” (snapshot from 2025-02-15 00:00 UTC). Archived copy of Public Health Agency of Canada web page (https://www.canada.ca/...). Accessed 2025-12-03. Available from: https://www.healtharchive.ca/snapshot/12345.
  • Use the exact snapshot URL you visited.
  • Use the capture timestamp shown on the snapshot page (UTC).
  • Always cite the original URL as well.

2) Cite a compare view

Compare views highlight descriptive text differences between two archived captures of the same page.

HealthArchive.ca Project. “Comparison of archived captures” (from snapshot <ID A> to snapshot <ID B>). Archived copies of <source organization> web page (<original URL>). Accessed <access date>. Available from: https://www.healtharchive.ca/compare?from=<ID A>&to=<ID B>.
  • Compare output is descriptive only and does not interpret meaning.
  • Record both snapshot IDs and the capture timestamps shown on the compare page.
  • Live compare views (/compare-live) are not archival records; cite the snapshot instead.

Where to find the citation fields

On /snapshot/<id> you can find the page title, capture date/time (UTC), source organization, original URL, and the snapshot URL.

On /compare?from=<id>&to=<id> you can find both snapshot IDs, both capture timestamps (UTC), the original URL, and a descriptive change summary.

/compare-live pages perform a live fetch on each request; they do not replace a snapshot citation.

Want help finding an example? Start from the archive explorer and open any snapshot.