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MEC APA 7th Edition Guide

Guide to the formatting, citation, and reference using APA 7th ed. format

Webpages / Web Documents

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of page. Website. http://xxxxx

General copyright dates are not sufficient to use as the publication date. If no creation or publication date is given, use n.d. If the author and website are the same, omit the website.

Example 1: Author, No Date

Corcodilos, N. (n.d.). Keep your salary under wraps. Ask the Headhunter. http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/hasalary.htm

(Corcodilos, n.d.)

Example 2: Corporate Author

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2019). Resources to empower veterans' mental health. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/self_help.asp

(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019)

Example 3: Multiple Pages from One Website

If you are using multiple pages from one website that all have the same author and date, differentiate the dates with letters. Be sure that the citations are listed alphabetically by webpage title.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014a). Be safe after a hurricane. http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/be-safe-after.asp

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014b). Make a plan. http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/plan.asp

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014b)

If both items have n.d. instead of a year, include a hyphen before the differentiating letter:

Northern Virginia Community College. (n.d.-a). Pathway orientation. https://www.nvcc.edu/pathway/orientation.html  

(Northern Virginia Community College, n.d.-a)

Northern Virginia Community College. (n.d.-b). Virtual advising. https://www.nvcc.edu/advising/virtual/index.html  

(Northern Virginia Community College, n.d.-b)

Example 4: No Author

Appeal to authority. (n.d.). Logical Fallacies. https://www.logicalfallacies.org/appeal-to-authority.html

When citing as an in-text citation, you may abbreviate the title to the first few words, in quotations, unless the title is short:

("Appeal to Authority," n.d.)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.16 (examples 111-114); Webpage on a Website References [APA Style]

Entire Websites

Simply give the URL of the website in the text:

The Northern Virginia Community College Libraries website (https://www.nvcc.edu/library/index.html) provides many resources for the students and faculty at NOVA.

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 8.22; Whole Website References [APA Style]

Entry in an Online Dictionary

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Entry name. In Title of online dictionary. Retrieved Day Month, Year, from http://xxxxx.

Most online dictionaries will not have a date; include a retrieval date in this case.

Example

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Chapfallen. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapfallen

(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

West, S. (2007). Online bully. In Urban dictionary. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=online%20bully&defid=2639710#2639710

(West, 2007)

Source: Dictionary Entry References [APA Style]

Entries in Online Encyclopedias

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of entry. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of reference work (xx ed.). Website. http://xxxxx

Example 1: Individual Author

Masolo, D. (2006). African sage philosophy. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Fall 2008 ed.). Stanford University. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/african-sage/

(Masolo, 2006)

Example 2: Group Author

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.) Antisemitism. In Holocaust encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2019, from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/antisemitism

(United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.)

Note: If the author is the same as the website, omit the website component. If an encyclopedia is continuously updated and does not have an archived version, include the retrieval date.

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.3 (examples 47-48)

Blog Posts

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

Reports - Government, Technical, Working Groups, etc.

These can include: task force or working group reports, codes of ethics, grants, policy or issue briefs, or press releases, 

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx) [Descripton*]. Publisher or Website name. https://xxxxx
* Only include description if it is not clear from the title. Ex. [Press release], [Policy brief]

Example 1: Individual Author

Haugen, S. E. (2009). Measures of labor underutilization from the current population survey (Working Paper No. 424). Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/osmr/pdf/ec090020.pdf

(Haugen, 2009)

Example 2: Organizational Author

For agencies that are part of a hierarchy, you can use the specific agency instead of including the full hierarchy. If you introduce an abbreviation in your first in-text citation, you may use that abbreviation in subsequent citations.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2011). Your guide to anemia (NIH Publication No. 11-7629). http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/blood/anemia-yg.pdf

First Time: (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2011)

All Subsequent Times: (NHLBI, 2011)

Note: if the author and website are the same, omit the website.

Example 3: Report Retrieved from Secondary Site

Matese, M. A. (1997, March). Accountability-based sanctions (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Fact Sheet No. 58). National Criminal Justice Reference Service. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/fs-9758.pdf

(Matese, 1997)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.4 (examples 50-52); Report by a Government Agency References; Report with Individual Authors References [APA Style]

Online Videos (e.g. YouTube, TED)

Use this for videos posted on websites or blogs, such as YouTube, TED, a news website, etc. If you are citing a direct quotation from a video, you can use the time stamp in place of a page number within the in-text citation (see Example 1).

Template

Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Website. http://xxxxx

Example 1: Full Name

McKnight, C. [NotYourMommasHistory]. (2016, September 29). Contraband camp at Harper's Ferry [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eJrqHnyWXGE 

(McKnight, 2016, 5:15)

Example 2: User Name Only

Vercamath. (2011, July 25). Parallel universes explained [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWaB3SksOQU

(Vercamath, 2011)

Example 3: TED Talk

Coogan, K. (2020, February). Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/kenny_coogan_vultures_the_acid_puking_plague_busting_heroes_of_the_ecosystem?language=en 

(Coogan, 2020)

TED. (2016, August 30). Suzanne Simard: How trees talk to each other [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs

(TED, 2016)

Note: If citing from the TED website, list the speaker as the author. If citing from YouTube, list TED (or the account) as the author and include the speaker's name in the title.

Sources: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 9.8 and 10.12 (examples 88 and 90); YouTube Video References; TED Talk References [APA Style]

Images

Photograph

You may also need to provide an attribution if you include the image in your paper. See Figures and Images.

Template

Photographer, A. A. (copyright year). Title of photograph [Photograph]. Website. http://xxxxx

Example

Zemlianichenko, A. (1997). Russian President Boris Yeltsin dancing at a rock concert [Photograph]. The Pulitzer Prizes. https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/alexander-zemlianichenko

(Zemlianichenko, 1997)


Artwork

Template

Artist, A. A. (copyright year). Title of work [Medium: Painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, etc.]. Museum, Location. http://xxxxx

Example

Walker, K. (1997). Vanishing act [Etching]. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, United States. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/65750?sov_referrer=artist&artist_id=7679&page=1 

(Walker, 1997)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.14 (examples 97 & 101); Clip Art or Stock Image References; Artwork References [APA Style]

Online Lecture Notes or PowerPoint Slides

Only include a full reference to lecture notes or class materials that are behind a login screen (such as Canvas) if you are writing for an audience that will be able to retrieve them. Otherwise, cite it as a personal communication.

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [Lecture notes or PowerPoint slides]. Website. http://xxxxx

Examples

Bell, A, Grimson, E., & Guttag, J. (2016). Python classes and inheritance [Lecture notes]. MIT OpenCourseWare. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/lecture-slides-code/MIT6_0001F16_Lec9.pdf

(Bell et al., 2016)

Harding, A. M. (2020). Quality: NSG230 [PowerPoint Slides]. Canvas at Northern Virginia Community College. https://www.nvcc.edu/academic-tools/index.html

(Harding, 2020)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.14 (example 102); Classroom or Intranet ResourcesPowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References [APA Style]

Fact Sheets & Brochures

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of brochure or fact sheet [Type]. Website. http://xxxxx.

If the author and website names are the same, omit the website component

Example

World Health Organization. (2018). Cancer [Fact sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018)

Sunsequent citations: (WHO, 2018)

Nissan. (n.d.). 2020 Altima [Brochure]. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/Nissan/us/vehicle-brochures/2020/2020-nissan-altima-brochure-en.pdf

(Nissan, n.d.)

Source: Fact Sheet References; Brochure References [APA Style]

Press Releases

Template

Author, A. A. or Organization. (Year). Title of press release [Press release]. http://xxxxx

Example

American Veterinary Medical Association. (2020). COVID-19 stimulus package: What it means for veterinary professionals [Press release]. https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/covid-19-stimulus-package-what-it-means-veterinary-professionals

First citation: (American Veterinary Medical Association [AVMA], 2020)

Subsequent citations: (AVMA, 2020)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.4 (example 59); Press Release References [APA Style]

Film or Video Review

Template

Reviewer, A. A. (Year). Title of review [Review of the film Film, by A. A. Director, Dir.]. Website. http://xxxxx

Example

Barsanti, C. (2011). The Muppets [Review of the film The Muppets, by J Bobin, Dir.]. Filmcritic. http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2011/the-muppets/

(Barsanti, 2011)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.7 (examples 67-68)

Online Maps

Template

Author, A. A. (Role). (Year). Title of map [Map]. Website. http://xxxxx

Example

Wise, G. D. (Cartographer). (1857). Preliminary survey of the mouth of the Apalachicola River, Florida [Map]. University of Florida. http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/maps/MAPFLL018.JPG

(Wise, 1857)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.14 (example 100)

Interviews

Only cite an interview if it is retrievable. If it is a personal interview that is not able to be accessed by the reader, follow the guidelines for personal communication.

Template

Interviewee, A. A. (Year, month day interviewed). Title of interview [Interview]. Website. http://xxxxx

Example

Miller, C. (2019, October 7). Chanel Miller - Turning her pain into a rallying cry with Know My Name - Extended interview [Interview]. Comedy Central. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-18-2012/salman-rushdie

(Miller, 2019)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.13 (example 95)

Wikis

Please note: Wikipedia can be helpful for starting to become familiar with a topic, but it is usually not an acceptable source to cite in a paper or research project for a class at Northern Virginia Community College. This is due to the fact that it can be very unreliable and is not considered a reputable source.

Template

Title of entry. (Year, Month Day). In Wiki Name. http://xxxxx

Example 1: Wikipedia

Constitution of the United States. (2020, June 14). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constitution_of_the_United_States&oldid=962430343

("Constitution," 2020).

Note: Provide the link to the archived version of the entry you use. Click View history and the time/date corresponding to the entry version you used.

Example 2: Another Wiki

Great society/citable version. (2013, September 1). In Citizendium. Retrieved June 16, 2020, from http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Great_Society/Citable_Version

("Great society," 2013).

Note: If there is no link to an archival version of the page, provide the retrieval date that you accessed the entry.

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.3 (example 49); Wikipedia Entry References [APA Style]

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

Twitter

Twitter Profile

Template

Author, A. A. [@twittername]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from http://xxxxx

Example

Tyson, N. G. [@neiltyson]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved October 8, 2019, from https://twitter.com/neiltyson

(Tyson, 2019)


Tweet

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

  • Include the Twitter username as written (be it a name or an organization).
  • You do not need to include the time, simply the day and year.
  • Since tweets are limited to 140 characters, you should include the entire text, including URLs.
  • The URL should be for the specific tweet, not the entire feed.
  • Replicate emojis if possible.
  • If an image or video are included, add square brackets before the Tweet indication.

Template

Author, A. A.. [@twittername]. (Year, Month Day). Full text of tweet [Image attached/Thumbnail with link attached/etc] [Tweet]. Twitter. http://xxxxx

Example

Obama, B. [@BarackObama]. (2009, July 15). Launched American Graduation Initiative to help additional 5 mill. Americans graduate college by 2020: http://bit.ly/gcTX7 [Tweet]. Twitter. http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/2651151366

(Obama, 2009)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration [@NASA]. (2020, June 15). Mark the date: spacewalks coming soon. Watch @Astro_SEAL and @AstroBehnken venure outside the @Space_Station to finish upgrading our orbital lab's power channels: https://go.nasa.gov/3hslna5 [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1272560249350881284

First Citation: (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2020)

Subsequent Citations: (NASA, 2020)

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide10.15 (examples 103-104); Twitter References [APA Style]

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

Apps

For information retrieved from a mobile app (such as an iPhone or Android app), cite as follows:

Template

Author/Creator, A. A. (Year of last update). Title: Subtitle of mobile app (Version #.#) [Mobile app]. Source Name. https://xxxxx

Note: Source will most often be Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

Example

Podcast Media LLC. (2020). Pocket Cast (Version 7.9) [Mobile app]. Apple App Store. https://apps.apple.com/au/app/pocket-casts/id414834813

(Podcast Media LLC, 2020)

Entry in an app

Epocrates. (2019). Interaction check: Asprin + sertraline. In Epocrates medical references (Version 18.12) [Mobile app]. Google Play Store

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.epocrates&hl=en_US

Source: APA Publication Manual or Concise Guide, 10.10 (example 79)