A complete guidance on citing electronic sources is available in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, pp. 348-352. Also helpful is https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
The 7th edition no longer requires the use of “Retrieved from” before DOIs or URLs if a retrieval date is not needed. A retrieval date is used when a web page’s content is likely to change over time. When using a retrieval date, precede the URL with “Retrieved from” and the date with first the month written in letters and followed by a space, then the date in numerals followed by a comma and space, and then the year written in numerals followed by a comma and space.
Example: Title of page. (2020, March 3). Site name. Retrieved March 14, 2020, from URL
Webpage or piece of online content
- Author: Cite the name(s) of author(s), if given, in this format:
- Last name
- Comma
- Initials, each followed by a period and a space.
- If more than one author, follow the next-to-last author’s last initial with a period, a comma, a space, an ampersand, and a space. The last author’s name has a period and space after the last initial.
- If a group or organization is the author, use the group’s full name as the author.
- If the author and the website name are identical, omit the website name from the citation.
- If no author’s name is given, begin the citation with the title of the page, then date, website, and URL. Italicize the title, and follow the same capitalization, punctuation, and spacing as in the title guidance section below.)
- Date: List in this format:
- Opening parenthesis
- Year in numeral
- Comma
- Space
- Month in letters
- Space
- Date in numerals
- Closing parenthesis.
- Period
- Space
- If no day of the month is available, put a closing parenthesis and period after the month. If neither month nor date is available, put a closing parenthesis and period after the year. If no date at all is available, write “(n.d.)” instead.
- Title of page: Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. For a two-part title, capitalize the first word of the second part of the title. Also, capitalize proper nouns. Italicize the title. End with a period and a space.
- Website name: Follow the capitalization and punctuation for the name used by the website. End with a period and a space.
- URL
Examples:
Author, A.A. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Website Name. URL
Title of page. (Year). Website Name. URL.
Author, A.A., & Author, B.B. (n.d.). Title of page. Website Name. URL
Online scholarly journal article: Citing DOIs
APA recommends providing a DOI rather than an URL because online materials can be changed. A DOI is unique to the document and consists of a long alphanumeric code. Sometimes the DOI is on the document’s first page. Put the DOI at the end of the citation. Do not put a period after the DOI. Also:
- If the 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 include the date accessed but do not include a URL or any database information except do include a URL when:
- on a database that publish articles that are in limited circulation (like ERIC).
- only available on that particular database (like UpToDate).
Online News Article
An article from a newspaper on the newspaper’s website:
- Author: Cite the name(s) of author(s), if given, in this format:
- Last name
- Comma
- Initials, each followed by a period and a space.
- If more than one author, follow the next-to-last author’s last initial with a period, a comma, a space, an ampersand, and a space. The last author’s name has a period and space after the last initial.
- Date: List in this format:
- Opening parenthesis
- Year in numerals
- Comma
- Space
- Month
- Space
- Date in numerals
- Closing parenthesis.
- Period
- Space
- Title of article: Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. For a two-part title, capitalize the first word of the second part of the title. Also, capitalize proper nouns. Do not italicize the title. End with a period and a space.
- Title of the newspaper:
- Name of the newspaper in italics.
- Period
- Space
- URL
An article from a newspaper not on the newspaper’s website:
- Author: Cite the name(s) of author(s), if given, in this format:
- Last name
- Comma
- Initials, each followed by a period and a space.
- If more than one author, follow the next-to-last author’s last initial with a period, a comma, a space, an ampersand, and a space. The last author’s name has a period and space after the last initial.
- Date: List in this format:
- Opening parenthesis
- Year in numerals
- Comma
- Space
- Month
- Space
- Date in numerals
- Closing parenthesis.
- Period
- Space
- Title of article: Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. For a two-part title, capitalize the first word of the second part of the title. Also, capitalize proper nouns. Italicize the title. End with a period and a space.
- Publishing web site, followed by a period and space.
- URL
Dissertation/Thesis from a Database
- Author: Cite the name(s) of author(s), if given, in this format:
- Last name
- Comma
- Initials, each followed by a period and a space.
- If more than one author, follow the next-to-last author’s last initial with a period, a comma, a space, an ampersand, and a space. The last author’s name has a period and space after the last initial.
- If a group or organization is the author, use the group’s full name as the author.
- If the author and the website name are identical, omit the website name from the citation.
- If no author’s name is given, begin the citation with the title of the page, then date, website, and URL. Italicize the title, and follow the same capitalization, punctuation, and spacing as in the title guidance section below.)
- Year:
- Opening parenthesis
- Year in numerals
- Closing parenthesis.
- Period
- Space
- Title of dissertation or thesis: Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. For a two-part title, capitalize the first word of the second part of the title. Also, capitalize proper nouns. Italicize the title. End with a period and a space.
- Publication number:
- Opening parenthesis
- Write “Publication No.” followed by a space
- Write the publication number in numerals
- Closing parenthesis
- Space
- Example (Publication No. 4398)
- Type of document and place where degree earned:
- Opening bracket
- Type of document: Write either “Doctoral dissertation” or “Master’s thesis”
- Comma
- Space
- Name of institution awarding degree. Example: Southwestern Oklahoma State University
- Closing bracket
- Period
- Space
- Database name.
Data Sets
- Author: Follow the usual author style for a person. For an author that is an organization or other type of group, use the exact name of the group. Add a period after the group name
- Space
- Year: Put the publication year in numerals inside parentheses.
- Period
- Space
- Title of dataset. Follow the usual capitalization rules for titles. Use italics. Follow with a space.
- Opening parenthesis
- Version number (can be a combination of letters and numerals)
- Closing parenthesis
- Space
- Opening bracket
- “Data set
- Closing bracket
- Period
- Space
- Publisher
- Period
- Space
- DOI or URL
Example: College of Arts and Sciences. (2017). Academic Programs Offered, 1950-2000 (XX 1234) [Data set]. Southwestern Oklahoma State University. https://www.swosu.edu/studies/1234
Graphic Data
Such data can include interactive maps, infographics, and other graphic representation of data.
- Name of the organization or individual, using the usual format.
- Period
- Space
- Date enclosed in parentheses in the usual format
- Period
- Space
- Title in italics and following the usual format
- Space
- Opening bracket
- Type of graphic.
- Closing bracket
- Period
- Space
- URL
- Retrieval date if no publication date.
Qualitative data and online interviews
- Online interviews in audio format only:
- Interviewee last name
- Interviewee first initial, following by a period and a space
- Opening parenthesis
- Year in numerals
- Comma
- Space
- Month in letters
- Space
- Date in numerals
- Closing parenthesis
- Period
- Space
- Write the words “Interview with” followed by a space and the name of the interviewee. Use italics
- Period
- Space
- Opening bracket
- The word “Interview” with a capital I
- Closing bracket
- Period
- Space
- Source of the audio file (may need punctuation such as a semicolon see Example)
- URL
- Example: Beutler, R. (2019, May 3). Interview with Randy Beutler [Interview]. Digital Commons; Southwestern Oklahoma State University. https://dc.swosu.edu/interviews/beutler_randy/05032019
- Online interviews with a transcript
- When the interview transcript is published in an online periodical, use the citation style for the medium where the transcript was published.
- When the transcript is published in a database, use the same format as for an online interview in audio. Use the name and location of the database as the source.
- Interview not retrievable in audio or print: Do not include the citation in the reference list. Cite the interview only in the text (not in the reference list) and provide the month, day, and year.
Online lecture notes and presentation slides
- Author and date: Follow the usual electronic resources style for author and date.
- Title of presentation: Italicize the title, and follow the usual capitalization rules.
- Space
- Lecture note format:
- Open bracket
- The type of format. Examples include “Lecture notes,” “PowerPoint slides,” or “Word document”
- Closing bracket
- Period
- Space
- Publisher.
- URL
Computer software/downloaded software
Follow general style formats. Include the author/group author, year, title of software, version number, publisher, and URL. Provide references only for specialized software, not standard office software programming languages.
Email
E-mails are not included in the list of references but should be cited parenthetically cite in the main text. Example: (A. Author, personal communication, January 2, 2020).
Online Forum or Discussion Posting
- Author: Usual format for the name of the person or group. Follow with a space.
- User name: Enclose the author’s user name in brackets. Observe the capitalization and punctuation of the user name. Follow the last bracket with a period and space.
- Date: Enclose the date in parentheses. Use the Year, Month Date format.
- Title of post: Follow the usual capitalization rules. Italicize the title, and follow with a space.
- Posting designation: Enclose the words “Online forum post” in brackets. Capitalize the O in online. Follow the closing bracket with a period and space.
- Publisher
- URL
Example: Author, A.A. [AAAuthor_username]. (2020, January 3). What’s for supper? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatsup/comments/3k576f
Tweet
- Author: Usual format for the name of the person or group. Follow with a space.
- User name: Enclose the author’s user name, including @, in brackets. Observe the capitalization and punctuation of the user name. Follow the last bracket with a period and space.
- Date: Enclose the date in parentheses. Use the Year, Month Date format.
- Tweet: Write content of the post in italics up to the first 20 words. Without adding a space after the Tweet, write the “Tweet” enclosed in brackets. Follow the last bracket with a period and a space.
- Site name: “Twitter”
- URL
Example: Southwestern Oklahoma State University [@SWOSU]. [2019, February 11). Due to inclement weather, both SWOSU campuses will be closed February 11, 2020[Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/SWOSU/status/12345678910
Any images, videos, or links in the tweet should be indicated in brackets after the word Tweet. Follow the word Tweet with a semicolon and a space and then the images/videos/links.
Facebook post
Follow the same format as for a Tweet except:
- Replace the word Tweet with the type of post, such as “Photographs”
- Replace the site name of Twitter with “Instagram”
Instagram Photo or Video
Follow the same format as for a Tweet except:
- Delete user name.
- Replace the word Tweet with the type of post, such as “status update”
- Replace the site name of Twitter with “Facebook”
Twitter profile
- Author: Usual format for the name of the person or group. Follow with a space.
- User name: Enclose the author’s user name, including @, in brackets. Observe the capitalization and punctuation of the user name. Follow the last bracket with a period and space.
- Date: Follow the style for no date. Example: (n.d.) Follow with a period and space
- Profile: Write the tab name being used for the citation, followed by a space and then “Twitter profile” in brackets. Follow the last bracket with a period and a space. Examples of profile tabs are Tweets, Lists, or Moments.
- Date retrieved: Write “Retrieved” and then the date with the month first and in words, then the date in numerals followed by a comma and space, and then the year in numerals followed by a comma and a space.
- URL: before the URL write the word “from” followed by a space.
- Replace the Twitter tab name with
Facebook Page
Follow the same format as for a Twitter profile except:
- Delete user name.
- Replace the Twitter tab name with the Facebook page title. Examples are Timeline, Home, Photos, or About
- Replace “Twitter profile” with “Facebook page”
Blog Post
- Author: Follow the usual style for author, followed by a space after the last period.
- Date: Follow the usual style for date, followed by a period and space after the closing parenthesis.
- Title of the post: Follow the usual capitalization and punctuation rules for titles. Do not italicize.
- Name of blog: The name of the blog should be in italics and followed by a period and a space.
- URL
YouTube or other streaming video
- Author: Follow the usual style for author, followed by a space after the last period. The author is the person or group uploading the video.
- User name: Enclosed the user name with brackets, followed by a period and a space.
- Date: Follow the usual date style, with a period and space after the closing parenthesis.
- Title of video: The title should be written in italics, followed by a space, then the word “Video” enclosed in brackets, then a period, and then a space.
- Streaming service: Follow the name of the streaming service with a period and a space. Examples of streaming services are Youtube and Vimeo.
- URL.
TED Talk
A TED Talk retrieved from the TED Talk website is cited the same as a YouTube video with the following exceptions:
- The author’s name is the speaker.
- Delete the user name.
- The streaming service is designated as “TED”
A TED Talk accessed on YouTube is cited the same as a YouTube video with the following exceptions:
- The author’s name is TED
- Delete the user name
Podcast episode
- Author: List the host(s) as the author of the podcast. If the host is unknown, list the executive producers in that role. Follow the usual style for authors, with a space after the final initial’s period.
- Role: List the author’s role in parentheses, followed by a period and space. Example: (Hosts)
- Title of podcast episode: Follow the usual capitalization and punctuation rules for titles, followed by a space. Provide the number of the episode in parentheses after the title if given; otherwise, omit.
- Type of podcast episode: Indicate whether the podcast is an audio podcast episode or video podcast episode. Enclose in brackets, capitalize the first letter of the first word (audio or video), and follow with a period and space after the closing bracket.
- Source of the podcast episode: Write the word “In” with a capital I and then followed by a space. Then write the name of the podcast in italics, followed by a period and a space.
- Source of the podcast.
- URL if known. Otherwise, omit.
Example:
Host, H.H. (Host). (2020, February 29). Leap Day trivia (No. 111) [Audio podcast episode]. In Fun with Dates. WWWW Poughkeepsie. https://www.funwithdates.org/radio-archives/episode/111/leapdaytrivia
