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Citing Media

Direct comments to cboyce@nvcc.edu

APA Citing Examples: Blogs

Template

Author, A. or ScreenName. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Blog Title. http://xxxxx

Please note that for blogs, the post title is formatted normally and the blog title is italicized.

Example 1: Screen Name

Headsman. (2020, June 4). 1718: A horse thief and two travelers, "the worst rideing that I ever rid". ExecutedToday.com. http://www.executedtoday.com/2018/06/04/1718-a-horse-thief-and-two-travelers-the-worst-rideing-that-ever-i-rid/

(Headsman, 2020)

Example 2: Full Name

Harrison, J. (2019, April 4). Sam Smith & the sociology of body shaming.  Sociological Images. https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2019/04/04/sam-smith-the-sociology-of-body-shaming/

(Harrison, 2019)

Source: Publication Manual, 10.1 (example 17); Blog Post and Blog Comment References [APA Style]

APA Citing Examples: Facebook

Facebook Page

Template

Author. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from http://xxxxx

Example

NOVA Libraries. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved June 16, 2020, from https://www.facebook.com/NOVALibraries

(NOVA Libraries, n.d.)


Specific Posting On Facebook Profile or Page

If you cite a particular post, you must cite it in the References page; you can follow the example and guidelines below.

  • Include the author name as written (name or an organization).
  • You do not need to include the time, simply the day and year.
  • Provide the entire posting, up to the first 20 words.
  • Include the URL of the specific post if possible.

Template

Author. (Year, Month Day). Text of Facebook post, up to 20 words [Image attached] [Status update/Video/Infographic/Image]. Facebook. http://xxxxx

Example

NOVA Libraries. (2020, April 22). Happy #NationalLibraryWeek, Nighthawks! We'd like to share with you a lovely resource from Stimola Live. [Thumbnail link attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/302457873133144/posts/3026460827399488/

(NOVA Libraries, 2020)

Source: Publication Manual, 10.15 (examples 105-106); Facebook References [APA Style]

APA Citing Examples: Instagram

Template

Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Text of caption [Photograph(s)/Video(s)]. Instagram. http://xxxxx

Example

NOVA Libraries [@novalibraries]. (2020, June 15). Happy Pride from all of us at the #MECCampus library! We see you, you belong here. [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdctnrpFEQ

(NOVA Libraries, 2020)

Source: Publication Manual 10.15 (examples 107-108); Instagram References [APA Style]

APA Citing Examples: Online Forums

Online forum post

If the author's real name is known, put that first and enclose the screen name in brackets.
e.g. Obama, B. [PresidentObama].

If the author's real name is unknown, provide the username without brackets.
e.g. no-tea.

Include the title of the post up to the first 20 words.

Template

Author, A. A. [username]. (date). Title of post up to first 20 words [Online forum post]. Forum name. http://xxxxx

Example

no-tea. (2018, January 16). Why do American high schools and universities use the nomenclature "freshman, sophomore, junior, senior" instead of, e.g., 1st-year, 2nd-year, etc.? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://redd.it/7qujn5k

Obama, B. [PresidentObama]. (2012, August 29). I am Barack Obama, president of the United States -- AMA [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://redd.it/z1c9z

Online forum comment

Template

Author, A. A. [username]. (date). Title of post up to first 20 words [Comment on the online forum post Full title of the post]. Forum name. http://linktocomment

Example

FifthSurprise. (2012, August 29). What was the most difficult decision that you had to make during this term? [Comment on the online forum post I am Barack Obama, president of the United States -- AMA]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/z1c9z/i_am_barack_obama_president_of_the_united_states/c60mmg8/

Source: Publication Manual, 10.15 (example 109); Online forum references [APA Style]

APA Citing Examples: TikTok

TikTok Video

Template

Author, A. A. [@TikTokusername]. (date). First 20 words of the caption [Video]. TikTok. http://xxxxx

Example

Ramsay, G. [@gordonramsayofficial]. (2020, August 24). That Monday feeling....right ??? Hopefully your day isn’t a hot sauce in your eye kind of day ðŸ˜œ #fyp #backatwork [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@gordonramsayofficial/video/6864603985794305285


TikTok Profile

Template

Author, A. A. [@TikTokusername]. (n.d.). First 20 words of the description [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved month, day, year, from http://xxxxx

Example

Author, A. A. [@gordonramsayofficial]. (n.d.). I cook sometimes too..... [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.tiktok.com/@gordonramsayofficial

Source: TikTok References [APA Style]

APA Citing Examples: X

X Post

APA Databases [@APA_Databases]. (2020, September 2). We have curated a collection of journal articles from APA PsycArticles on #COVID19. View: https://bit.ly/2QrWj76 for recent coverage [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/APA_Databases/status/1301175576703664128

CDC [@CDCgov]. (2020, June 11). Scientists do not know if having antibodies to the virus that causes #COVID19 can protect someone from getting infected again [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1271180413134876672

  • Present the name of the individual or group author the same as you would for any other reference. Then provide the X handle (beginning with the @ sign) in square brackets, followed by a period.

  • In the case of a group identified by an abbreviation (as with the CDC example), use the group name as shown on the work, to aid in retrieval.

  • Provide the specific date of the post.

  • Provide the first 20 words of the post as the title, in italics. Count a URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. Do not italicize emojis.

  • If the post includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in square brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].

  • Include the description “[Post]” in square brackets after the title.

  • Credit X as the site name in the source element and then provide the URL of the post. 

X Profile

APA Style [@APA_Style]. (n.d.). Posts [X profile]. X. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from https://x.com/APA_Style

Jordan, M. B. [@michaelb4jordan]. (n.d.). Replies [X profile]. X. Retrieved January 9, 2020, from https://x.com/michaelb4jordan/with_replies

  • X profiles begin on the “Posts” tab by default. If you want to cite one of the other tabs (“Replies,” “Highlights,” “Media,” or “Likes”), use the name of that tab rather than “Posts” in the title element of the reference.

  • Include the notation “[X profile]” in square brackets.

  • Provide a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time and is not archived.

  • Provide the URL of the page.