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  • APA - Online Citations

    WEBPAGE OR PIECE OF ONLINE CONTENT

    If the page names an individual author, cite their name first:

    If the resource was written by a group or organization, use the name of the group/organization as the author. Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the site name from the citation.

    Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL

    American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victimshttps://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims

    If the page's author is not listed, start with the title instead. Additionally, include a retrieval date when the page's content is likely to change over time (like, for instance, if you're citing a wiki that is publicly edited).

    Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

    Tuscan white bean pasta. (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/

    If the date of publication is not listed, use the abbreviation (n.d.). 

    Author or Group name. (n.d.). Title of page. Site name (if applicable). URL

    National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health conditionshttps://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions

     

    WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE

    APA 7 treats Wikipedia articles as special instances of entries in reference works. Thus, there are a few differences between reference entries for pages on Wikipedia and those for generic webpages.

    Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In Wikipedia. URL of archived version of page

    Quantum mechanics. (2019, November 19). In Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_mechanics&oldid=948476810

    Wikipedia articles often update frequently. For this reason, the date refers to the date that the cited version of the page was published. Note also that the manual recommends linking to the archived version of the page, rather than the current version of the page on the site, since the latter can change over time. Access the archived version by clicking "View History," then clicking the date/timestamp of the version you'd like to cite.

     

    ONLINE SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLE: CITING DOIS

    Please note: Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long alphanumeric code. Many—but not all—publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the document.

    Note also that some online bibliographies provide an article's DOI but may "hide" the code under a button which may read "Article" or may be an abbreviation of a vendor's name like "CrossRef" or "PubMed." This button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOIs from print publications or ones that go to dead links with doi.org's "Resolve a DOI" function, available on the site's home page.

    APA 7 also advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source.

     

    ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE PERIODICAL WITH DOI ASSIGNED

    Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Vol.(Issue), page numbers. DOI

    Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23(2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105

     

    ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE PERIODICAL WITH NO DOI ASSIGNED

    If an online scholarly journal article has no DOI and is published on a website, include the URL. If an online scholarly article has no DOI and is published on a database, do not include a URL or any database information. The only exception is for databases that publish articles that are in limited circulation (like ERIC) or that are only available on that particular database (like UpToDate). Note that retrieval dates are required for unarchived sources that are likely, or intended, to change over time. 

    Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise

     

    ABSTRACT

    APA 7th edition does not provide guidance on how to cite abstracts. However, if you only use information from the abstract but the full text of the article is also available, we advise you to add "[Abstract]" after the article or source name. If the full text is not available, you may use an abstract that is available through an abstracts database as a secondary source.

     

    ONLINE NEWS ARTICLE

    Note: The format for this type of source depends on whether your source comes from a site with an associated newspaper.

    If the source does come from a site with an associated newspaper, leave the title of the article unformatted, but italicize the title of the newspaper.

    Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. Title of Publication. URL

    Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of America. Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-2019-lana-del-rey-sings-lullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

    On the other hand, if the source doesn't come from a site with an associated newspaper, italicize the title of the article, but leave the name of the site unformatted.

    Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. Name of publishing website. URL

    Jones, J. (2020, May 10). Why flats dominate Spain's housing market. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200506-why-do-flats-dominate-spains-housing-market

     

    ELECTRONIC OR KINDLE BOOKS

    It is not necessary to note that you have used an eBook or audiobook when the content is the same as a physical book. However, you should distinguish between the eBook or audiobook and the print version if the content is different or abridged, or if you would like to cite the narrator of an audiobook.

    Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. URL

    Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

    Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)

     

    DISSERTATION/THESIS FROM A DATABASE

    Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

    Duis, J. M. (2008). Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students. (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

     

    ENTRY IN AN ONLINE DICTIONARY, THESAURUS, OR ENCYCLOPEDIA WITH A GROUP AUTHOR

    Note: An online dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia may be continuously updated and therefore not include a publication date (like in the example below). If that’s the case, use “n.d.” for the date and include the retrieval date in the citation.

    Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of reference work. URL

    Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio

     

    ENTRY IN AN ONLINE DICTIONARY, THESAURUS, OR ENCYCLOPEDIA WITH AN INDIVIDUAL AUTHOR

    Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of entry. In F. M. Lastname (ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher. URL or DOI

    Martin, M. (2018). Animals. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds), Encyclopedia of big data. SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1

    Note: If the dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia does not include an edition, simply skip that step.

     

    DATA SETS

    Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group (Year). Title of dataset (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL

    Grantmakers in the Arts. (2019). Arts funding trends, United States, 1994-present (ICPSR 37337) [Data set]. National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NADAC/studies/37337

    GRAPHIC DATA (E.G. INTERACTIVE MAPS, INFOGRAPHICS, AND OTHER GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS OF DATA)

    Give the name of the organization or individual followed by the date and the title. If there is no title, in brackets, you should provide a brief explanation of what type of data is there and in what form it appears. Include the URL and the retrieval date if there is no publication date.

    HatchMed. (2017). 8 ways to improve patient satisfaction [Infographic]. HatchMed.com. https://www.hatchmed.com/blog/2017/1/30/8-ways-to-improve-patient-satisfaction

    Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of Purdue University]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4237095,-86.9233886,17z

    QUALITATIVE DATA AND ONLINE INTERVIEWS

    If an interview is not retrievable in audio or print form, cite the interview only in the text (not in the reference list) and provide the month, day, and year in the text. If the interview transcript is published in an online periodical, like a magazine, cite the interview the same way you would cite the medium where it is published, as shown below:

    Schulman, M. (2019, December 8). Peter Dinklage is still punk rock. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/peter-dinklage-is-still-punk-rock

    If it is an audio file or transcript published in a database, credit the interviewee as the author and use the following model:

    Paynter, W. (1970, September 17). Interview with Will Paynter [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/interview-will-paynter

     

    ONLINE LECTURE NOTES AND PRESENTATION SLIDES

    When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. PowerPoint slides, Word document).

    Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of presentation [Lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, etc]. Publisher. URL

    Smith, C. (2017, October 13). AI and machine learning demystified [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/carologic/ai-and-machine-learning-demystified-by-carol-smith-at-midwest-ux-2017

    COMPUTER SOFTWARE/DOWNLOADED SOFTWARE

    Do not cite standard office software (e.g. Word, Excel) or programming languages. Provide references only for specialized software.

    Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year). Title of software (Version No.). Publisher. URL

    Maplesoft. (2019). Maple companion (Version 2.1.0). Cybernet Systems Co. https://www.maplesoft.com/products/MapleCompanion/

     

    EMAIL

    E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you should parenthetically cite them in your main text:

    (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

     

    ONLINE FORUM OR DISCUSSION POSTING

    Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of post [Online forum post]. Publisher. URL

    Stine, R. L. [RL__Stine]. (2013, October 23). I’m R.L. Stine and it’s my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p32dl/

     

    TWEET

    Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words[Tweet]. Site Name. URL

    Note: If the tweet includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

    National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, January 12). Scientists knew African grays are clever, but now they’ve been documented assisting other members of their species—even strangers [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1216346352063537154

     

    BLOG POST 

    Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of post. Publisher. URL

    Axelrod, A. (2019, August 11). A century later: The Treaty of Versailles and its rejection of racial equality. Code Switch, NPRhttps://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/08/11/742293305/a-century-later-the-treaty-of-versailles-and-its-rejection-of-racial-equality

     

    YOUTUBE OR OTHER STREAMING VIDEO

    Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

    Lushi, K. [Korab Lushi]. (2016, July 3). Albatross culture 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AMrJRQDPjk&t=148s

    Note: The person or group who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the author’s name is the same as the username, you can omit the [Username].

     

    TED TALK

    Author, A. A. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. TED. URL

    Al-Mutawa, N. (2010, July). Superheroes inspired by Islam [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/naif_al_mutawa_superheroes_inspired_by_islam#t-4909

    Or (if on YouTube)

    Username. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. YouTube. URL

    Tedx Talks. (2011, Nov. 15). TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I learned to stop worrying and love discussing race [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU

     

    PODCAST EPISODE

    Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In Name of podcast. Publisher. URL

    Prime, K. (Host). (2019, March 29). For whom the cowbell tolls [Audio podcast episode]. In Radiolab. WNYC Studios. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/whom-cowbell-tolls