Web and video

Note that for most web sources:

• a date of retrieval is not usually included (unless a source is designed to be updated regularly, for example, a Twitter profile, Facebook page, Google Maps or an OER)
• URLs should be hyperlinked
• There is no full stop after a URL or a DOI.

Note too:

• URLS are not usually provided for books and journal articles accessed online – these usually have a DOI.  See also the APA7 sections on Books and Articles.

See also: APA7 Explained > URLs and DOIs

In-text citation

Webpages should be cited according to the name of the author, which is often a group author, for example a government department or an organisation.

If no author or group author is provided for a webpage, cite by title.

See also the topics:

• APA7 Explained > Group author
• Government and legal > Government publications

For source where no page numbers are provided, you may cite the chapter number, section heading and/or paragraph number.

See also: APA7 explained > No page numbers

References

• The author might be an individual, but more often than not it will be a group author (e.g. organisation, government department).
• Provide a day and month of publication, if available.
• If a Date last updated is given for a webpage, use this as the date of publication (if it is clear that this date refers to the specific page/section and not the whole website).
• Do not include a Date of last review as the content has not necessarily been updated.
• Italicize the title of the webpage or web document.
• Do not italicize the title of the website.
• Do not repeat the website title, if this is also the webpage title or the author’s name.
• When citing multiple webpages from the same website, create a reference entry for each webpage.

Webpage with named author

• When individual author(s) are credited on the webpage, list them as the author in the reference.

Webpage with group author

• Note: the website title is not repeated in these examples because it is the same as the author name.
• See also: Government and Legal > Government publications

General information from a website

• When referring to a website more generally, i.e. without referencing specific information or a specific page from that site, do not include a reference entry or in-text citation.
• Instead, provide the name of the website and the URL in parentheses.

Document from a website

• When referencing a document from a webpage, follow the guidelines for citing a webpage and include a link to the document if available

Web documents are cited in a similar way to webpages.

We recommend first reading these related topics:

• APA explained > Group author
• Web and Video > Webpage
• Government and Legal > Government publications
• Other > Reports

In-text citations

• Cite page numbers where provided.
• Where no page numbers are provided, you may cite the chapter number, section heading and/or paragraph number.
  See: APA7 explained > No page numbers.

References

For web documents, follow the same advice as for webpages, and in addition:

• The source type can be provided in square brackets, for example [Fact sheet] or [Press release], if not already evident from the title.
• Provide a direct link to the web document, or if this is not accessible provide a link to the webpage where the document is available.

Author. (Year, Month Day). Title of web document. [document type]. Website/Owner of website. URL of document or landing page that links to document

Department of Health. (2019). Commonwealth Home Support Programme interaction with home care packages [Fact sheet]. Australian Government.  https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/commonwealth-home-support-programme-interaction-with-home-care-packages-fact-sheet

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2018, August). Report: Survey on the replacement, reduction and refinement of the use of animals for scientific purposes in Australia. Australian Government. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/ethics/animal-ethics/3rs

• In all cases you need to consider whether social media sources are appropriate and acceptable to include in your assignment. If you are uncertain, check your unit guide or with your unit chair or lecturer.
• Cite only original content from social media, not merely content that has been discovered via a social media link.
• Cite content that is available to the public.  For private accounts and communications, see also: Other > Personal communications.
• Use the following advice for all social media sources.

In-text citation

• Include the author and year of the post.

References

Only public social media accounts should be included in the reference list. The author’s real name is provided first, followed by the username/screen name in square brackets. If only the screen name is known, provide without brackets.

• Provide a date of retrieval (day, month and year) you accessed the social media source if you believe that the source is designed to be regularly updated.

Facebook

• Provide the page title, e.g. “Home,” “About,” “Reviews” or up to the first 20 words of a post.
• Include a description in square brackets, e.g.[Facebook page], [Status update]. If a post includes images, videos or content from another post also provide a description in square brackets, e.g. [Video].

Twitter

• If the tweet includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in brackets after the title, e.g. [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].
• Include the description, e.g. [Tweet]  [Moment] or [Twitter profile] in square brackets after the title.
• Provide Twitter as the website name and then provide the URL of the tweet.

Instagram

• Include a description of the post in square brackets after the title, e.g. [Photo], [Video], [Instagram profile], [Instagram highlight].
• Provide Instagram as the site name and then provide the URL of the image/video.

In-text citation

References

Posts

• Cite the author(s) of the blog post (be aware that this is not always the owner of blog).
• Blog posts follow the same format as webpages.

Comments on a post

• Cite the person who left the comment as the author using the format that appears with the comment (i.e., a real name or a username). The example here shows a username.
• Provide the comment title or up to the first 20 words of the comment, then write “Comment on the blog post” and the full title of post on which the comment appeared (in quotation marks and enclosed within square brackets).
• Link to the comment itself, if possible. Otherwise, link to the blog post.

Online videos may be available from a number of different sources on the web and in different formats – downloadable video files, streaming videos, or video casts.

• The format below can also be used for sites that host user-generated videos, such as YouTube and Vimeo.
• Always cite the source that you have accessed.

In-text citation

Include the name of the publisher (uploader of content), or the speaker.

References

• For YouTube, and other video-sharing platforms, the owner of the account is the author.
• For videos published on other websites, for example the TED website, the main speaker/presenter may be the author.
• Your source may be available in more than one place. Only cite the source that you have accessed.
• Indicate the medium in brackets, e.g. [Video].
• If the video is from a URL that is highly likely to change over time, you may provide the homepage URL rather than the full URL.
• Include the date that the video was uploaded.

See also: Film and Television

YouTube channel

• YouTube channel pages begin on the “Home” tab by default. If you want to cite one of the other tabs (e.g., “Videos,” “Playlists”), use the name of that tab rather than “Home” in the title element of the reference.
• Italicize the title of the channel.
• Include the description “[YouTube channel]” in square brackets after the title.
• Provide a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time.

Note that for other videos, the director or producer is listed as the author.

See: Film and Television Episode

Podcasts and audio files may be available from a number of different online sources. Only cite the source that you have accessed.

In-text citation

List the host of the podcast as the author, or alternatively the executive producer.

References

• Provide the role of the host or producer in brackets.
• Indicate the medium in brackets, e.g. [Audio podcast episode].
• Provide the podcast episode number if there is one.
• If the podcast URL is unknown, omit the URL.

Providing the homepage URL

If the podcast is from a URL that is highly likely to change over time, it is best to provide just the homepage URL rather than the full URL.

In-text citation

• Cite films with the following information, regardless of where or how they were viewed (e.g. DVD, streamed, cinema viewing).

References

Cite television episodes with the following information, regardless of where or how they were viewed (e.g. live or streamed).

In-text citation

• Provide the title of the episode in-text in italics.
• Provide the writer, director and/or executive in the citation.

References

• Provide the names of the writer, director or executive producer.