Citing Websites and Digital Media
Notice: This guide provides information about APA 6th edition (2010) citation and referencing requirements. For information on citing and referencing in APA 7th edition (2020), please see our updated APA 7 guide.
- Web page - Author listed
- Web page - Author not listed
- Lecture notes posted to Blackboard
- E-book - Online Only
- E-book - Also available in print
- Blog post
- Podcast
- YouTube Video
Web page - Author listed
In-Text Citation
(Ontario Seniors' Secretariat, 2015)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. Retrieved from web address
Example:
Ontario Seniors' Secretariat. (2015). Seniors' guide. Retrieved from http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/seniorsguide/index.php
Web page - Author not listed
In-Text Citation
Cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year.
("Diet for Stress Management", 2012)
References
Title. (Year of Publication). Retrieved from web address
Example:
Diet for stress management slideshow: Stress-reducing foods. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management
Notice:
- Double quotation marks are used around the shortened title of the web page in the in-text citation only.
- In the in-text citation, the words of the shortened title in quotation marks are capitalized. In the Reference list, only the first word and proper names are capitalized.
- Move the title to the first position of the reference when there is no author listed.
- When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash); the punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original.
Lecture notes posted to Blackboard
In-Text Citation
References
Example:
Aigh, P. U. (2010). Did George Berkley die when his girlfriend stopped seeing him? [Lecture]. Retrieved from http://www.trentu.ca/admin/it/webct/
Notice:
- Sometimes the most difficult part of figuring out a citation is knowing what term to use when looking in the manual. This falls under "Informally published or self-archived work" in the sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual. Because this is a citation of something not formally published, the title is put in italics.
- When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash). As you can see in the example, the punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original.
Electronic Book Published Only Online
In-Text Citation
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. Retrieved from web address
Stevens, K. (n.d.). The dreamer and the beast. Retrieved from http://www.onlineoriginals.com/showitem.asp?itemID=321
Notice:
- In this reference, n.d. indicates that there is no publication date listed.
- When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash). As you can see in the example, the punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original.
Electronic Book also Published in Print
In-Text Citation
References
Examples:
Downey M., Baumann A. O., & Nursing Study Sector Corporation. (2004). The international nursing labour market. [Gibson Library Connections]. Retrieved from http://books2.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=27776
Notice:
- When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash). As you can see in the example, the punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original.
- If the electronic book provides a doi (digital object identifier), it will go in place of the URL: doi: 10.1036/0071393722
Blog Post
In-Text Citation
References
Example:
Wood, B. (2012, June 28). Love in a dangerous time [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://pcvscornerstone.blogspot.ca/2012/06/love-in-dangerous-time.html
Notice:
- Always make sure the blog is an academic source or fits into your academic work. You might, for example, cite a blog post in a culture paper or cite a debate between two academics. The title of the blog post is not italicized.
Podcast
In-Text Citation
References
Example:
O'Brien, L. (Producer). (2012, April 3). Special: 20 years after the Siege of Sarajevo [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.cbc. ca/thecurrent
Notice:
- When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash); the punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original..
YouTube Video
Author Listed: In-Text Citation
References
Example:
Lotus, N. (2009, April 19). Birmingham apostrophe [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=NePs85mcvLc
Author Not listed: In-Text Citation
(Light. Dark, 2009)
References
Title [Video file]. (Date of Publication). Retrieved from web address
Example:
Light. Dark [Video file]. (2009, April 10). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmAwkkx7I4s&NR=1
Notice:
- Provide the author (content creator) only if you know who made the video. Do not list the person posting the video online as the author unless you are certain that she or he has created the video. If unsure, treat the citation as having no author and begin with the title.
- Always make sure the video is an academic source or fits into your academic work. You might, for example, cite an advertisement in a visual culture paper or cite a debate between two academics. Remember, a professor's first instinct might be to cringe at a YouTube reference. However, if it is a legitimate source and fits with your work, there may be no problem.