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APA Video Citation Guide for College Students to Avoid Plagiarism

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Smart APA Video Citation Guide

Even a few decades ago the majority of research papers and college essays did not have the video citation part. We only had to deal with the books, magazines, and various newspapers. As the rise of YouTube became popular even for subjects like Psychology (think about online sessions) and Engineering, knowing how to cite a video APA style becomes essential. We need to avoid plagiarism and provide references that will help us to make our college essays or dissertations confident and clear. The purpose of our APA video citation guide is to help you learn the basic rules and see the examples to help you cite without mistakes.

The Crucial Information You Require to Cite Videos APA Style

Since the majority of video citations in APA format relate to the YouTube video platform, we shall approach it as the default standard. It also fits well within the basic APA video citation rules. The key factor is to include as much information as you can obtain to help your audience access the video link and locate it online. While it may not relate to various films on DVD (which we shall review later), the list of required information usually goes as follows: 

  • Name of the account that uploaded the video (remember that it is not always the original author). 
  • If you are dealing with the account that did not create the video, add an explanation about it in the text. Specify the reason for including your link in terms of plagiarism and copyrights. If possible, always look for the original content and try to obtain the first-hand uploader, an official website, social media page, or anything where the video may be available. 
  • Another important rule regarding citation of videos APA style is citing the words of people or a person in a video. You should name and describe these particular individuals in your in-text reference and then provide a reference in parentheses. In other words, you must provide various details as to who said and what as you cite to help the video make sense and be appropriate. 
  • Remember to specify the date when the video has been uploaded. 
  • Place the title of the video in italics. 
  • Include the meta box description [Video] in square brackets right after the title. 
  • Provide the video platform’s name (for example, Youtube, Netflix). 
  • Finish your citation with the URL of the video. 

The actual example with all the rules includes goes like this: 

Rick Steves’ Europe. (2015, June 6). The Netherlands: Beyond Amsterdam. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imjq5yQzNiI

APA in-text citation goes this way: 

(Rick Steves’ Europe, 2015). 

How APA 7th Video Citation Differs From APA 6th?

The current APA (American Psychological Association) style is in its 7th edition, which became available in October 2019. Even though some universities in the United States and beyond still use the 6th edition from time to time, the current set of rules becomes more common these days. Therefore, we shall discuss the major changes to help you understand the difference when learning how to cite videos APA 7th edition and what changes have been introduced. Most importantly, citing various online sources became more common: 

  • The publisher location is no longer included in your reference. For example, as you had to include “New York, NY” before your publisher’s name in APA 6, it just goes without it in the latest edition. 
  • If you have three or more authors, you have to shorten it with the first surname of the author and the “et al.” addition. 
  • However, if you have over 20 authors, you must provide their surnames and initials on your Reference page to avoid any plagiarism issues. 
  • When you have a DOI number, it should be treated the same way as the URL with the “HTTPS://” prefix. 
  • The URLs do not require the “Retrieved from” part anymore as you provide the video platform’s link. 
  • The use of “he and she” are replaced by “their”. For example: How often he or she has been mentioned / How often they have been mentioned
  • Finally, the “Running head” part is omitted. 

Most importantly, remember that we should not use the “Retrieved from” part in APA 7th when using APA reference Youtube video citing.  

The Basic Structure of APA Video Citation

Regardless of your video platform, always start with this template: 

Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video (in italics) [Video]. Name of the video platform/website. URL 

The in-text citation will be this way: 

(Uploader’s Last Name / Screen name, Year) 

As we choose an example, it becomes this way: 

Cherry Red Records. (2012, May 18). Steve Hackett Story – Interview by Mark Powell [Video Interview]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SVjF4GGVNg

(Cherry Red Records, 2012) 

This is one of the most frequent examples of video citation in APA. Still, some of our sources may relate to movies or various films that are presented in another language, which is why we shall proceed with the basic examples to help you along.

The General Video APA Citation Types

Film Citation

Last Name, Initials. (Director). (Year). Movie Title (in italics) [Film]. Production Company. 

In-text film citation: 

(Last Name, Year, 00:00:00) 

The actual Bibliography example: 

Anderson, P. W.S. (Director). (2004). Alien vs. Predator [Film]. Davis Entertainment Company. 

(Anderson, 2004, 01:12:34) 

Movie in Another Language

Girault, Jean. (Director). (1979). Le Gendarme et les Extra-terrestres [The Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials] [Film special ed. on DVD]. Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie. 

As you can see, we have included the translation of the title in a different language for this APA movie citation format. 

 

TV Series

It will go this way: 

Producer, A.B. (Executive Producer). (Date range). Title of work in italics [Description]. Production Company. URL. 

Grundy Television Australia. (Executive Producer). (1992-1995). Mission Top Secret [TV series]. Network Ten. 

Remember to include the names of all executive producers or production companies if the list is less than 20 names. When the TV series span multiple years, it goes as specified above. If the series is still on the air, use the classic (2010-present) pattern. 

A TV-show Episode

The video APA citation template:

Writer, A.V. (Writer), & Director, D.A. (Director). (Date range). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [Description]. In A.C. Producer (Executive Producer), Title of TV Series in italics. Production Company. URL. 

Bellisario, D.P. (Writer), & Bellisario, D.P. (Director). (1984-1987). Shadow of the Hawke (Season 1, Episode 1-2) [TV Series]. In D.P. Bellisario (Executive Producer), Air Wolf. Belisarius Productions; Universal Television; Atlantis Communications.  

TED Talk

When you have to cite a TED Talk from their original website, you should list the speaker as creator and provide the date the way it is listed. You must include the “Video” tag in square brackets after the title. Next, list the publisher as “TED Conferences”, ending up with the URL. 

The template: 

Speaker’s last name, Initial(S). (Year, Month). Talk title in italics [Video]. TED Conferences. URL. 

YouTube Variations

Basic: 

APA citation YouTube video must include this information: 

Channel name. (Year, Month Day). Title in italics [Video]. YouTube. URL

Video With Creator’s Real Name: 

Stipe, Michael. [Michael Stipe]. (2020, January 4). Drive to the Ocean [OFFICIAL] [Music Video]. YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luoE63wUKAE

In-text citation: 

(Stipe, 2020)

APA YouTube Citation Video Without Uploader’s Real Name: 

Berklee Online. (2019, February 1). Psychoacoustics: Explaining Tonotopicity, Consonance, and Dissonance | Susan Rogers | Berklee Online [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A83gc7qnCPI

Citing a YouTube Channel 

Sometimes you have to cite an entire YouTube channel. Here are the differences to consider: 

  1. Always use “n.d.” for “no date” since there is no single date for the channel. 
  2. The word “Home” must be included since every YouTube channel has “Home” by default. In case you are turning to some other tab, mention it instead. 
  3. Implement “YouTube Channel” instead of the name where the video must be used. 

Here is how it looks in practice: 

YouTube Channel Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial OR Screen name. (n.d.) Home in italics [YouTube Channel]. URL of YouTube channel

APA Citation For YouTube Video Direct Quote: 

If you want to include a direct quote from some YouTube video, it must be done as the in-text citation with the timestamp. As for the reference, it remains the same: 

Uploader’s Surname, First Initial. Middle Initial. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of the video in italics [Video]. Name of website. URL

Comment Found on a YouTube Video:  

Speaking of the comments, it goes a bit more challenging when citing video comments APA style. Here is how to approach it when citing a youtube video APA style for comments: 

Commentor’s Surname, First Initial. OR Commenter’s Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of comment OR up to the first 20 words of the comment. [Comment on the video “Title of video”]. YouTube in italics. The URL

The in-text citation: 

(Commentor’s Last Name / Username, Year) 

Also, remember to provide the direct grammar and style the way it has been typed by the author, according to the latest APA Manual.

Step-by-Step Guidance When Citing Videos in APA Style

  1. List the real surname of the video’s uploader. Place a comma after the last name and include initial(s). If you do not know the author (creator), proceed next. 
  2. List the screen name of the uploader exactly as it has been spelled in brackets. 
  3. Place the full numerical year in parentheses, adding up the full written month and the numerical day of the video posted date. 
  4. Place the video’s title in italics by placing no period after. 
  5. Place the word Video in square brackets. 
  6. Add the word YouTube or any other video platform. 
  7. List the full video URL or Production Company / DVD. 

You can also use shortened links but ensure that they point to the right video and the initial timestamp without a playlist.

The Benefits of Using Our APA Video Citation Generator

If it all sounds too complex to you and you need accuracy for your video sources, you can use our APA film citation tool.  Here are some benefits to consider: 

  • It is free and requires no registration. 
  • It does not store your information anywhere. 
  • You can cite as much as you require. 
  • It has both automatic and manual entry options. 
  • It helps you to stay safe from plagiarism issues. 

Most importantly, you do not have to pass through any ads and you can create your citations just by pasting your YouTube link. 

FAQ

Will I also receive in-text citations for my APA video references? 

Yes, you will receive both in-text and reference citations. 

Is your APA video generator safe to use when citing a movie APA? 

It is safe because it does not store your data anywhere and requires no registration. 

Can your APA citation tool handle books and newspapers as well? 

Yes, just select your preferred source for citing. 

I have problems bringing my References page from MLA to APA. Can you help? 

You can enter your MLA information manually or use the video link to do so automatically. 

 

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