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How to Cite From YouTube

In a court of law, you swear on a Bible; in a scholarly argument or discussion, you cite your sources. Your source citations are the reader's guarantee that the facts you present are "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." They are a proof of your scholastic integrity. This is why it's important that you cite all sources, offline or online, as correctly and completely as possible. If a YouTube video is one of your scholarly sources, guarantee your use and the truth of that source by citing the video properly.

Instructions

  1. APA style

    • 1

      Write the last name and first initial of the author of the video you want to cite in your reference list separated by a comma and followed by a period. Write the word "Producer" within parentheses and followed by a period. The video title page will be your source for the video's author. For example, Kerchief, K. (Producer). If the video has no identified author, begin your citation with the video title followed by the words "Video file" within brackets and followed by a period. For example, How to sing falsetto [Video file]. Italicize the title in an actual APA citation.

    • 2

      Write the production or upload date of the video within parentheses and followed by a period. You'll find the upload date of a YouTube video on the video home page under the Like/Dislike buttons. For example, Kerchief, K. (Producer). (2011).

    • 3

      Write the title of the video followed by the word "Video file" within brackets and followed by a period. Capitalize the first word of the title, the first word after a colon and any proper nouns. The APA specifies brackets for "nonroutine information." For example, Kerchief, K. (Producer). (2011). How to sing falsetto [Video file]. Italicize the title in an actual APA citation.

    • 4

      Write the words "Available from" followed by the video's YouTube Web address. For example, Kerchief, K. (Producer). (2011). How to sing falsetto [Video file]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5qaX37Qjg7.

    • 5

      Write the last name of the video author and the year of production or upload within parentheses and separated by a comma for an in-text citation of a YouTube video in APA style. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development (Kerchief, 2011)." Write the title of the video and the year of production or upload within parentheses and separated by a comma for an in-text citation of a YouTube video without an identified author. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development (How to sing falsetto, 2011)."

    MLA Style

    • 6

      Write the last name and first initial of the author of the video you want to cite in your reference list separated by a comma and followed by a period. The video title page will be your source for the video's author. For example, Kerchief, K. If the video doesn't have an identified author, begin your citation with the title of the video within quotation marks and followed by a period.

    • 7

      Write the title of the video in title case, within quotation marks and followed by a period. For example, Kerchief, K. "How to Sing Falsetto."

    • 8

      Write the word "YouTube" and the date the video was produced or uploaded followed by a period. You'll find the upload date of a YouTube video on the video home page under the Like/Dislike buttons. For example, Kerchief, K. "How to Sing Falsetto." YouTube, 11 April 2011. Italicize the word "YouTube" in an actual MLA citation.

    • 9

      Write the word "Web" followed by a period and the date you accessed the video also followed by a period. For example, Kerchief, K. "How to Sing Falsetto." YouTube, 11 April 2011. Web. 17 September 2011.

    • 10

      Write the Web address of the video you are citing within angle brackets and followed by a period. For example, Kerchief, K. "How to Sing Falsetto." YouTube, 11 April 2011. Web. 17 September 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5qaX37Qjg7>.

    • 11

      Write the last name of the video author within parentheses for an in-text citation of a YouTube video in MLA style. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development (Kerchief)." Write the title of the video within quotation marks and parentheses for an in-text citation of a YouTube video without an identified author. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development ('How to Sing Falsetto')." The single quotation marks used in this example would be double quotation marks in an actual MLA citation.

    Chicago Style

    • 12

      Write the last name and first name of the author of the video you want to cite in your reference list separated by a comma and followed by a period. The video title page will be your source for the video's author. For example, Kerchief, Keif. Write the title of the video in title case and within quotation marks if the video you are citing doesn't have an identified author.

    • 13

      Write the title of the video followed by a comma and within quotation marks. Write the words "YouTube video" followed by a comma. Write the length of the video in minutes and seconds separated by a colon and followed by a comma. For example, Kercheif, Kief. "How to Sing Falsetto," YouTube video, 7:17.

    • 14

      Write the words "posted by." Write the Web name of the video's posting individual or organization within quotation marks and followed by a comma and the day and date of the posting. You'll find this information on the video home page under the Like/Dislike buttons and preceded by the words "Uploaded by." For example, Kercheif, Kief. "How to Sing Falsetto," YouTube video, 7:17, posted by "CantabileCorporation," March 7, 2011.

    • 15

      Write the Web address of the YouTube video you are citing in Chicago style: Kercheif, Kief. "How to Sing Falsetto," YouTube video, 7:17, posted by "CantabileCorporation," March 7, 2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5qaX37Qjg7.

    • 16

      Write the last name of the video author and the upload date within parentheses for an in-text citation of a YouTube video in Chicago style. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development (Kerchief 2011)." If the video has no identified author, use the name of the posting individual or organization and the upload, or posting, date. For example, "The technique lends itself effectively to pop dramatic development (CantabileCorporation 2011)."

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