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How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.

To cite a YouTube video in APA Style, you include the person or organization that uploaded it, their channel name (if different from their real name), the upload date, the video title (italicized), “Video” in square brackets, the name of the site,  and a link to the video.

Note that the same format works for other video sites like Vimeo; just replace “YouTube” with the name of whatever site the video is from. APA TV show citations are different.

Cite a YouTube video in APA Style now:

Table of contents, where to find citation information for a youtube video, authors and channel names, in-text citations for youtube videos, how to cite a youtube channel.

The information you’ll need for your citation is easy to locate on YouTube. It’s located just below the video, as shown in the image below.

The “author” of a YouTube video is not necessarily the person or group who created the video. Instead, APA requires you to list the uploader of the video in the author position. This makes it easier for the reader to locate the video.

If the uploader is an individual whose real name is known and is different from their channel name, both should be included. The real name is written in the standard format, while the channel name follows in square brackets and is written exactly as it is on YouTube, retaining any unconventional capitalization or spacing.

If the author’s real name is unknown or the uploader is not an individual, the channel name is included alone, with no brackets.

Where the channel name is the same as the author’s real name, it only needs to be written once:

For an in-text citation of a YouTube video, use whichever name appears first in the full citation, whether that’s a real name or a channel name:

• (Stevens, 2017)
• (University of Oxford, 2019)

When you quote or refer to a specific part of a video, include a timestamp pointing to the relevant moment in the video:

If the person quoted is not the uploader, it’s best to specify their identity in the text, as in this TED Talk citation :

Sometimes you might need to cite a whole channel instead of a single video, as when you’re discussing a channel’s content in general.

In this case, don’t include the year the channel was created – just use “n.d.” (no date) as it’s the current content of the channel that’s relevant. Write “YouTube channel” instead of “Video” in the square brackets, and include a retrieval date, since channel content will change over time.

“Home” refers to the homepage of the channel; if you’re citing something else like the videos or playlists tab, replace accordingly:

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/youtube/

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Youtube Video

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General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname OR Screen name, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name. (Year, Month Day {of video post}). Title of video [Video]. Title of website. URL of specific video

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Norton, 2006)

Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

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How To Cite A YouTube Video In APA Style – With Examples

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On This Page:

To cite a YouTube video using the APA Referencing Style, you will need to find the person or organization that uploaded it, the channel name, date of upload, video title, website name (in this case, YouTube), and, lastly, the video link.

See below for our step-by-step guide using a real-life example.

Where To Find Citation Information 

Firstly when writing your citation, you need to know where to find all the information needed. 

You only need to look at three locations: 

• For the video and YouTube channel name, look directly under the video
• For the upload date, look in the description bar of the video
• For the video link, look in the URL bar above the video

Step-by-step Guide

We will now guide you step-by-step on how to cite a YouTube video In APA style.

Let us assume that you would like to cite this video:

As mentioned, you will need the following information in this order:

• Channel name 
• Date of upload
• Title of the video (italicized)
• The word “Video” in brackets
• Name of the site (in these cases, that would be “YouTube”)

Putting it all together in a formula, the structure of your reference should look like this:

Channel Name. (Year, Month (spelled out), Day (using numbers) of upload). Title of video [Video]. Title of website. Video URL

Taking our example, the finished reference would then be:

American Psychological Association. (2022, March 16th). Why psychopathy is more common than you think, with Abigail Marsh, PhD [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgGfMZ3_t0

How To Write In-Text Citations

We will now look at how to write in-text citations for YouTube videos. 

Similarly to how you would write an in-text citation for a research article or book chapter, you simply take the “author” name (in our case, this would be the “Channel name”), followed by a comma and the year of upload.

The formula structure looks like this:

Parenthetical citations: (Channel name, Year of upload) 

Narrative citations: Channel name (Year of upload)

Based on our example, the in-text citation would then be:

Parenthetical citations: (American Psychological Association, 2022) 

Narrative citations: American Psychological Association (2022)

What is important to remember is that for in-text citations in APA style, only the publication year is required, and we omit any other date information, such as day and month.

How To Include A Video Reference To The Reference Page

The last factor to consider when referencing a YouTube video is how to structure it in your “Reference Page.” 

You will be happy to learn that your reference’s source format (e.g., article, video, blog post, etc.) has no effect on your reference page, and you can simply follow the same general APA rules set out.

Those would be:

• Adding your references in alphabetical order by the author’s last name (in our case, channel name) 
• Ensuring that your list and references are double spaced
• Ensuring that every reference begins on a new line
• Adding a hanging indent for every new reference

How To Cite A YouTube Channel 

Let us assume that instead of an individual video, you would like to reference an entire YouTube Channel. Using our example, this is how you would cite the “American Psychological Association” channel.

The formula structure should look like this:

Channel Name. (n.d.). Home [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL of YouTube Channel

*n.d stands for no date.

** “Home” stands for the YouTube Home tab, where most channels are found by default. To cite other tabs, such as ” “Playlists,” follow the same formula structure and simply replace the tab placement with your chosen one. Kindly note that this is also italicized. 

Based on our example, the reference would be:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Home [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved November 15, 2022 from https://www.youtube.com/@TheAPAVideo

Similarly, the in-text citation would be:

Parenthetical citations: (American Psychological Association, n.d.)

Narrative citations: American Psychological Association (n.d.)

* To find more citation information regarding the APA style, you can navigate to the official APA website: https://apastyle.apa.org/

Frequently asked questions

Should videos be used as references.

In academic writing, it is recommended that primary sources such as peer-reviewed papers, books, and book chapters should make up the majority of your references. This is to ensure the information you have included has been written and reviewed by field experts. 

However, that being said, you can certainly cite secondary sources such as videos, online articles, and documentaries if they help provide important context and information to the point you are trying to make. Simply try to ensure that these are kept to a minimum where possible.

What types of videos are relevant to reference? 

When referencing a video, it is important to ensure its relevance to demonstrate that you have critically considered and carefully selected your sources. 

Videos that fall into this category can include but are not limited to: documentaries, biographies, docu-series, videos from channels of official bodies, e.g., the APA channel, video essays, critical perspectives, etc. Carefully consider the source’s credibility and how the video’s points assist your writing’s narrative or argumentation.

How is a direct quote from a video referenced?

If you would like to reference a direct quote from a video, then simply follow our YouTube video citation formula with the addition of a timestamp of when the quote begins next to the date.

Kindly note that time stamps are only needed for your in-text citations. You can omit them from the reference placed in your reference list.

Using our example, the in-text citation would look like this:

Parenthetical citations: (American Psychological Association, 2022, 2:44)

Narrative citations: American Psychological Association (2022, 2:44)

If you would like to cite multiple quotes from the same video, you can include timestamp ranges in your in-text citation separated by an en dash (-) . 

For example:

Parenthetical citations: (American Psychological Association, 2022, 2:44:3:16-17:45:19:00)

Narrative citations: American Psychological Association (2022, 2:44:3:16-17:45:19:00)

What Is APA Format?

The American Psychological Association (APA) formatting is a writing and referencing style dating back to 1929.

Developed by psychologists and other scholars, they set to standardize scientific writing by establishing a set of guidelines to be unanimously used across the discipline.

Thus, the APA style was born and has been adopted ever since by many fields, such as the behavioral and social sciences (Almeida, 2012).

This formatting style promotes concise, consistent, and persuasive writing. Special emphasis is given to the author’s ethical compliance and a reduction of prejudiced and biased descriptive language.

Frequent revisions are conducted to update the style, with the most current one (accessed when this article was published) being the 7th edition (American Psychological Association, 2020). Hence, the guidance provided in this article is based on the 7th edition APA manual.

Almeida, P. (2012, July 10). THE ORIGINS OF APA STYLE (AND WHY THERE ARE SO MANY RULES). Journal of European Psychology Students. https://blog.efpsa.org/2012/07/10/the-origins-of-apa-style-and-why-there-are-so-many-rules/

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: YouTube or other streaming video

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Citing YouTube or other streaming video

Tips for citing YouTube and other video sources in APA 7th edition (p. 274, 342-344). 

• When adding a reference for a YouTube video, if you can locate it, add the uploader's last name, first initial as the "author." Then add their username in brackets, for example: Smith, J. [@smithjoe]. 
• After adding the title in italics, in plain text add "video' in brackets and then add YouTube as the platform, for example: How to make pancakes with almond butter [Video]. Youtube. 
• When adding an in-text citation for a direct quote from a video, make sure to add a timestamp after the date. For example, (Smith, 2018, 5:27)

CBS News. (2019, October 4).  The perils of private prison health care | Full documentary [Video] . YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsQuOPy4zX0

In-text Citation (Paraphrase):

(CBS News, 2019)

In-text Citation (Direct Quote):

(CBS News, 2019, 3:15)

Carrie Forbes, MLS

Page References

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to Chapter 10: Reference Examples, pp. 274, 342-344 for more information. 

Helpful Tips

Tips for citing social media in APA 7th edition (p. 274, 342-344). 

• After adding the title in italics, in plain text add "video' in brackets and then add YouTube as the platform, for example:  How to make pancakes with almond butter  [Video]. Youtube. 

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APA 7th Edition Tutorial: Cite a YouTube Video or Website

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Cite a  YouTube Video , a  Website  or a Journal Article

(Remember ALL citations are formatted in APA 7th edition)

Cite a Web Page With No Author

How do you reference a web page that lists no author?

From the  APA Style Blog .

When there is no author for a web page, the title moves to the first position of the reference entry like this:

All 33 Chile miners freed in flawless rescue. (2010, October 13). MSNBC.  Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/-id/39625809/ns/world_news-americas/

Cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title or abbreviated title.: ("All 33 Chile Miners," 2010).

Note:  Articles found on the web, like the example above, are not italicized in the reference entry and are not italicized but enclosed in quotations in the in-text citation, just like a newspaper or magazine article.

Other APA Style Resources

APA Basics  LibGuide

APA Formatting   at Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) - 

Everything you ever wanted to know about APA formatting (from the famous Purdue OWL ).

• APA Style Blog The APA Style Blog is the official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition.
• BibMe How to Cite Anything in APA Format
• EasyBib General Rules for APA Style References

Cite a YouTube Video

Use the name of the account that uploaded the video as the author.

—---------------

Full Citation (for the References page):

Jidenna. (2020, June 3). The Lit Review: Qualified Immunity [Video].

           YouTube. https://youtu.be/V0_3HTc0NCU  

---------------

In-text citations (when you refer to the video in the text of your paper) :

Parenthetical in-text citation:  A special episode of The Lit Review was dedicated to the doctrine of qualified immunity (Jidenna, 2020).

Narrative in-text citation:

The panelists interviewed attorney Kristen Clarke, who enumerated three tools to combat the abuse of qualified immunity: 1.) local police departments holding individual officers accountable; 2.) criminal prosecution of officers who murder citizens by local government agencies; and 3.) civil investigation and prosecution of officers who abuse their power (Jidenna, 2020).

For more info, visit the official APA Style Blog here:  How to Cite an Online Video (YouTube) in APA 7 Format

Citing Journal Articles, Websites & Videos, and Creating In-Text Citations

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APA Format & Citation Style, 7th edition

Youtube video.

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three or More Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
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• Edition other than the First
• Translation
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• Magazine Article
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• Government Document
• Film and Television
• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
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• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Formatting Your Paper
• APA Handouts & Guides This link opens in a new window

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname OR Screen name, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name. (Year, Month Day {of video post}). Title of video [Video]. Title of website. URL of specific video

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Norton, 2006)

Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a YouTube video in APA

To cite a YouTube video in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the YouTube video: The person who posted the video is credited as the author. Use the person's real name if available followed by the user name.
• User name: If the user name is not visible on the page, check the 'About page' of the user that uploaded the video.
• Date of publication: Give the year, month and day in brackets followed by a full stop, e.g. (2019, June 13).
• Title of the video: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• URL: Give the full URL of the web page including the protocol (http:// or https://).

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a YouTube video in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the YouTube video . [ User name ] ( Date of publication ). Title of the video [Video file]. Retrieved from URL

To cite a YouTube video in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the YouTube video: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a YouTube video in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the YouTube video . [ User name ] ( Date of publication ). Title of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a YouTube video citation in action:

A YouTube video where the creator's real name is not provided

AsapSCIENCE . ( 2017, September 28 ). How to learn faster [ Video file ]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9SptdjpJBQ

Note: The person's real name is not available, the user name is used instead.

AsapSCIENCE . ( 2017, September 28 ). How to learn faster [ Video ]. YouTube . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9SptdjpJBQ

A YouTube video where the creator's real name is available

Bialik, M . ( 2019, June 13 ). The life changing magic of detective Pikachu [ Video file ]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97KJhK-9yvc

Bialik, M . ( 2019, June 13 ). The life changing magic of detective Pikachu [ Video ]. YouTube . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97KJhK-9yvc

A YouTube video where both the creator's real name and the user name are available

Frank, T . [electrickeye91]. ( 2017, February 8 ). How to learn faster with the Feynman technique (example included) [ Video file ]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts

Frank, T . [electrickeye91]. ( 2017, February 8 ). How to learn faster with the Feynman technique (example included) [ Video ]. YouTube . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

• How do I cite a YouTube video in APA style?
• How to Create a Reference for a YouTube Video APA
• APA Citation Style: Youtube Video

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How to Cite YouTube Videos in APA

Hannah berry (ph.d.).

• Published on 12/15/2023
• Updated on 01/13/2024

This article navigates the intricacies of citing YouTube videos, presenting examples and step by step instructions for referencing both individual videos and entire channels in the APA format .

• YouTube Video Citation: Include uploader’s real name and channel, clarify content creation, italicize video title, and note upload date and URL.
• Citing Entire Channels: For complete channels, use uploader details, n.d. for creation date, specify the channel tab, and include [YouTube channel] in square brackets.
• Retrieval Date Inclusion: Add a retrieval date for entire channels to account for potential content changes over time.

Generate free citations using our APA citation tool for APA books , APA webpage citations , and APA journal references . Use the MLA citation generator to create accurate citations for MLA books , MLA webpage citations , and cite MLA journals . Simplify the citation process with our comprehensive tools for APA, MLA format and Harvard styles .

HOW TO CITE YOUTUBE VIDEO

When citing YouTube videos, accuracy is paramount. Include the uploader’s account as the author, specifying both the real name and channel name if different, along with the upload date, italicized video title , and the video’s URL.

Here is a more detailed explanation of each component of the citation:

• Contributor: The individual(s) who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the uploader has a known real name, include both the real name and the channel name in square brackets.
• Publication Date: Specify the date the video was uploaded in the format (Year, Month Day).
• Title of Video: Italicize the title of the video, capitalizing the first letter of the first  word and any subtitles (for videos only).
• Description: Include [Video] in square brackets after the title.
• Source: Indicate YouTube after the source description.
• URL: Provide the URL of the video.

SINGLE AUTHOR  

Group or organization , how to cite youtube channel.

When citing an entire YouTube channel, include the uploader’s account as the author, specifying both the real name and channel name if different, use no date (n.d.) for the creation date. It’s important to note the title element uses the Home tab by default. If your citation content is found in another tab, such as Travel Vids or Music, it is advisable to use the name of that specific tab. Include [YouTube channel] in square brackets after the italicized channel title, and provide a retrieval date.

• Publication Date: Use no date (n.d.) for the creation date.
• Title of Channel Tab: Uses Home tab by default or another tab title in italics.
• Description: Include [YouTube channel] in square brackets after the title.
• Source: Indicate YouTube after the channel description.
• Retrieval Date: The date the channel was accessed, as channel content may change over time.
• URL: Provide the from URL of the channel.

SINGLE AUTHOR 

In-text citation for youtube video.

In addition to crafting accurate references for YouTube videos and channels, APA in-text citations are crucial for seamlessly integrating sourced information. 

Here are examples for parenthetical and narrative in-text citations when citing YouTube videos.

PARENTHETICAL IN-TEXT CITATION

In-text citation for a video by the uploader Tailor, R .Y.: 

In-text citation for a channel by the Explorer Group:

NARRATIVE IN-TEXT CITATION

In-text citation for a video by the uploader Nature World: 

In-text citation for a channel by the Baker, L.:

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Hannah Berry has lectured at several colleges and teaches at the WEA. Besides publishing extensively, she has taught citation skills and written multiple style guides.

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How to Cite a YouTube Video

Create citations for free.

Website Book Journal Video

While you might first think of books, newspapers, and journal articles as go-to sources for academic assignments, YouTube provides a wealth of informative, easily accessible videos. Yes, there is questionable content, but the site is also filled with educational channels, snippets from evening news programs, and even full-length documentaries on a range of interesting and scholarly subjects.

Since YouTube has a ton of information, citing a video retrieved from YouTube might seem more difficult than citing a book. But the process is fairly simple—and we’ve put together this helpful guide on how to cite a YouTube video using MLA format , APA format, and Chicago style.

If you’ve previously cited a video from another website, you’re in luck: The process for citing a video from YouTube is basically the same. To provide an example, we’ve cited a video from the CrashCourse YouTube channel—run by “Fault in Our Stars” author John Green—that offers educational videos on a slew of topics, including history, chemistry, and psychology. This particular video is about the US Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism. We’ve laid out how to cite the video in MLA format, APA format, and Chicago style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7FQsCcbD8

To properly cite a video from YouTube, you must consider the following pieces of information:

• Full name, username, or name of the company that posted the content
• Title of the video
• Title of the website (YouTube)
• Publisher of the video
• Date the video was posted
• Length or duration of the video
• URL or of the video

Use the following structure to cite a YouTube video in MLA 9:

Last name, First name (of the individual who posted the content) OR the name of the company OR the username. “Title of the Video.” Title of the Website , Name of the Publisher that uploaded the video (only include if it differs from the author or title), Date it was uploaded, URL.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in MLA 9 :

CrashCourse. “The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash Course US History #8.” YouTube , 21 Mar. 2013, youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8.

If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!

Use the following structure to create an APA citation for a YouTube video :

Name of the Account OR Last Name, First initial of uploader [YouTube Account Name]. (Year, Month Day it was posted). Title of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Here’s how the above example would be cited in APA:

CrashCourse. (2013, March 21). The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash course in US History #8 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8

Use the following structure to cite a YouTube video in Chicago :

Last name, First name of the individual or the company who posted the content. “Title of Video.” YouTube video, length. Date published. URL.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in Chicago :

CrashCourse. “The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash Course in US History #8.” YouTube video, 13:03. March 21, 2013. https://youtu.be/bO7FQsCcbD8

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Including the name(s) of the video poster is discussed in reference examples 88 and 90 of the APA Publication Manual , 7 th edition. If the video is posted on the organization’s official website, then the speaker or presenter’s name would be listed in the author field. However, if the video is posted on YouTube or any other video sharing site, the name of the account that uploaded the video is listed as the author instead, to aid retrieval.

APA reference list template and examples:

Presenter’s Last Name, F. M. or Uploader’s Last Name, F. M. [Username*]. (Date posted). Title of the video [Video]. Publisher. URL

Cutts, S. (2016, October 18). Are you lost in the world like me? [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/209248444

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (2016, September 30). How to diagram a sentence (absolute basics) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zznr-e6A4mQ

Iimjobs. (2020, March 2). Chegg – Life at Chegg | Showcase | iimjobs.com [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Nb3Ebtj9M

*Note: The username should be included if the account holder’s name and account name are both known and if including the username will help in retrieval.

Per the MLA Handbook , 9 th ed., the performer or creator is omitted if they are not mentioned in the source. Instead, the name of the uploader is included in the contributor field.

MLA works cited list template and example:

“Video Name.” Name of the Website , uploaded by Account Name, date video was posted, URL.

“Top 10 Unforgettable Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments.” YouTube , uploaded by MsMojo, 1 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKq4SjCPzII.

As per the APA Publication Manual , 7 th edition, the in-text citation for a direct quote from a YouTube video should include the last name of the person who uploaded the video, the year the video was published, and a timestamp of the quote you are citing.

APA in-text citation template and example:

(Uploader Surname, year, HH:MM:SS)

(Cutts, 2016, 1:12:37)

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Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 Views: 721373

According to the APA Style 7th edition the general format is as follows:

Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://xxxxx

For example (don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines):

Mark Apsolon. (2011, September 9). The haunting tape 14 (ghost caught on video) [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nyGCbxD848

shapirolibrary. (2017, July 24). IBISWorld - industry reports & information   [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot98iAtFzfo

NOTE : The screen name should follow the capitalization that appears on YouTube. The URLs should link to the source.

More Information

• APA YouTube Video Reference Example This link opens in a new window (American Psychological Association)
• APA Guide  (Shapiro Library)
• APA Blog This link opens in a new window  (American Psychological Association)
• APA (7th Ed.) Research Paper Basics - Word 2019 (Office 365) (Hoonuit) This link opens in a new window  - SNHU Login Required

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

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To access help with citations and more, visit the Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

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How to cite a YouTube video in APA – Methods & Examples

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In the digital age, sources of information have expanded beyond traditional books and journals to encompass a wider range of mediums, including online platforms like YouTube. In academic writing , you can use videos on YouTube for research and reference. Whenever you use such videos as sources, you will have to cite them appropriately. This guide will cover the APA YouTube video citation format in detail, including APA examples to help you understand how to apply this citation style effectively.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 How to cite a YouTube video in APA – In a nutshell
• 2 Definition: How to cite a YouTube video in APA
• 3 APA YouTube Video Citation information
• 4 APA YouTube Video Citation: Authors and channel names
• 5 APA YouTube video In-text Citations
• 6 APA YouTube video Citation: A whole Channel

How to cite a YouTube video in APA – In a nutshell

• You can use videos as references in academic papers, and you will have to use the APA YouTube video citation format for these references.
• All the citation information needed will be indicated at the bottom of the video.
• It is also possible to use the APA YouTube video citation format to make a reference to an entire YouTube channel.

Definition: How to cite a YouTube video in APA

In an APA YouTube video citation, you have to include the name of the institution that uploaded the video, the name of the channel, the date when the video was uploaded, the title of the video in italics , the word ‘Video’, the name of the video hosting website, and a link to the video.

APA YouTube Video Citation information

All the information for an APA YouTube video citation will be located at the bottom of the video.

APA YouTube Video Citation: Authors and channel names

The author of the video is simply the uploader and not the person who created the video. If the uploader’s name is known and is different from the channel name, you will have to include both names in the citation. In this case, the uploader’s name will be written in the standard format, while the channel name will appear exactly as it is on YouTube. You also have to use square brackets for the channel name.

If the name of the author isn’t known, the APA YouTube video citation should only include the channel name, and you will not need to use brackets.

If the author uses their real name as the channel name, you will only need to write this name once.

CrashCourse. (2015, July 9). Intro to Economics: Crash Course Econ #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/3ez10ADR_gM

Mike, L. (2019, May 5). Ten Principles of Economics [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/3ez10ADR_gM

APA YouTube video In-text Citations

If the uploader’s name and channel name are different, you will have to include the name that appears first in the full citation. Here are two examples to illustrate this form of APA YouTube video citation:

• (CrashCourse, 2015)
• (Mike, 2019)

You may also want to make a reference to a specific section of the video. In this case, you will have to include a timestamp in the video citation.

(CrashCourse, 2015, 2.20)

If the person who uploaded the video is different from the quoted individual, you should mention this fact in a statement.

Economist Richard Coffin explains the different causes of economic recessions (TED, 2019, 4.39).

APA YouTube video Citation: A whole Channel

If you are discussing the general contents of a website, you may need to cite an entire YouTube channel. With this form of APA YouTube video citation, you will have to replace the year with “n.d.” You also have to type “YouTube Channel” instead of “Video” . The retrieval date must also be included.

In these examples, we have been citing the homepage of the YouTube channel. If you want to cite the videos or playlist tabs, you can change the word ‘Home’ to match the tab you are interested in.

Mike, L [CrashCourse]. (n.d.). Playlist [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/c/crashcourse

How to shorten the URL of a YouTube video?

You can shorten the URL of a YouTube video by clicking the share button below the video. The website will then display a shortened YouTube URL of the video.

What should I do if the author’s name is spelled incorrectly?

APA YouTube video citation rules state that students should type the author’s name exactly as it appears on the video, even if it is misspelled.

Can I use videos as references in academic papers?

Yes, you can use videos as references, but it is necessary to check the guidelines offered by your instructor.

Can you cite video podcasts in APA format?

Yes, you can use the APA YouTube video citation format to make references to podcasts. You just need to replace the word ‘Video’ with ‘Podcast’.

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In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Reference citations in text are covered on pages 261-268 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.

Note:  On pages 117-118, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998)  found  or Jones (1998)  has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998)  finds ).

APA Citation Basics

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but  NOT  directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.

On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages) before listing the page number(s). Use an en dash for page ranges. For example, you might write (Jones, 1998, p. 199) or (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–201). This information is reiterated below.

Regardless of how they are referenced, all sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining

• Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
• If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source:  Permanence and Change . Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs:  Writing New Media ,  There Is Nothing Left to Lose .

( Note:  in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized:  Writing new media .)

• When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word:  Natural-Born Cyborgs .
• Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's  Vertigo ."
• If the title of the work is italicized in your reference list, italicize it and use title case capitalization in the text:  The Closing of the American Mind ;  The Wizard of Oz ;  Friends .
• If the title of the work is not italicized in your reference list, use double quotation marks and title case capitalization (even though the reference list uses sentence case): "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash).

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout, but do not add an extra blank line before or after it. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Because block quotation formatting is difficult for us to replicate in the OWL's content management system, we have simply provided a screenshot of a generic example below.

Formatting example for block quotations in APA 7 style.

Quotations from sources without pages

Direct quotations from sources that do not contain pages should not reference a page number. Instead, you may reference another logical identifying element: a paragraph, a chapter number, a section number, a table number, or something else. Older works (like religious texts) can also incorporate special location identifiers like verse numbers. In short: pick a substitute for page numbers that makes sense for your source.

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference and may omit the page numbers. APA guidelines, however, do encourage including a page range for a summary or paraphrase when it will help the reader find the information in a longer work. 

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Book Citations / Learn how to cite “The things they carried” by Tim O’Brien

Learn how to cite “The things they carried” by Tim O’Brien

Learn how to create in-text citations and a full citation/reference/note for The things they carried by Tim O’Brien using the examples below. The things they carried  is cited in 14 different citation styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, APA, ACS, and many others.

If you are looking for additional help, try the EasyBib citation generator .

Popular Citation Styles

Here are The things they carried citations for five popular citation styles: MLA, APA, Chicago (notes-bibliography), Chicago (author-date), and Harvard style.

Additional Styles

Here are The things they carried citations for 14 popular citation styles including Turabian style, the American Medical Association (AMA) style, the Council of Science Editors (CSE) style, IEEE, and more.

Find citation guides for additional books linked here .

Popular Book Citations

• Declaration of Independence
• Heart of Darkness
• The Great Gatsby
• The Federalist Papers
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Catcher in the Rye
• Fahrenheit 451
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Nineteen Eighty-Four
• The Epic of Gilgamesh
• ESV Study Bible
• The Bhagavad Gita
• There There
• Animal Farm
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• View Other Book Citations

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CHEM 151 (Roberts): APA style 7th ed.

• Scholarly v. Popular?
• Primary v. secondary sources
• Search terms
• Find sources in databases
• Choosing good websites
• APA style 7th ed.

Creating references

MCC Library guides to APA , MLA & ACS citation styles

To edit or create citations, you need to:

1.) understand what kind of publication you are citing (is it book with 1 author? journal article from database? an essay in an anthology? etc.)

2.) find the matching publication type in a perfectly-formatted list of citation samples (eg. MCC Library's APA citation help page , Purdue OWL website )

3.) match the formatting of your source's citation elements (or parts) to that of the citation sample

• To show your reader you've done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information
• To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas
• To allow your reader to track down the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper by way of footnotes, a bibliography or reference list
• To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors ( here's a MCC Library video about how to avoid plagiarism )

Video: APA In-Text citations

Using databases to create APA references

Most online / subscription-based resources will format your reference in the style of your choice. In databases produced by EBSCO, look for the icon on the right side of the record description page; it looks like this:

Other databases use different icons or words, but if you look carefully you will usually find the auto-cite button.

CAUTION! Most of the time automatically-generated citations are not perfect. It is your responsibility to search for these errors and correct them before using them in your final References list.

APA in-text citations

DOI's : Ensure you have one!

What is a DOI ?

Source:  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/dois-urls

Note: DOI's are usually found on the first page of the article itself *or* on the database's article information page; in an EBSCO database this page is called the Detailed Record.

APA elements exercise: Scholarly article from a database

Click here for answer key

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