How to cite a YouTube video in APA style?

In this article, we'll explore the rules on how to cite Youtube videos per APA. APA stands for American Psychological Association. It's a citation style used widely in social sciences, education, and other fields. APA provides rules for citing sources, formatting papers, and organising content.

Marie Strauchman

September 20, 2024

How to cite a Youtube video?

Here are the key points to remember, when creating a YouTube video reference list:

Author: Last Name, First Initial. Use the creator's real name if you can find it. If not, use their screen name. For organizational accounts, use the organization name.

Screen name: Always include this in square brackets, even if it's the same as the author name. It helps readers find the exact channel.

Date: (Year, Month Day). Be as specific as possible. YouTube shows the exact upload date - use it. This helps readers gauge the information's timeliness.

Video title: Copy it exactly as it appears, but use sentence case (capitalize first word and proper nouns only). This makes your reference list consistent.

[Video]: Include this in square brackets right after the title. It immediately tells readers what type of source they're looking at.

YouTube: Always include the platform name. It's part of the source's identity and helps in locating it.

URL: Provide the full link, but drop the "https://". Make sure it's the direct link to the video, not a playlist or channel.

Example of YouTube videos reference list and proper citations:

• Crash Course. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved September 22, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
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• Green, J. [vlogbrothers]. (2019, April 16). The anthropocene reviewed reviewed [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V7wje7VESc
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• Khan Academy. (2021, March 1). Introduction to limits [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riXcZT2ICjA
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• TED. (2012, March 2). Susan Cain: The power of introverts [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
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Parenthetical citation: Educational YouTube channels offer a wide range of content for self-directed learning (Crash Course, n.d.; Khan Academy, 2021).
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Narrative citation: In his video, Green (2019) reviews the concept of the Anthropocene, offering a unique perspective on human impact on the planet.

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How to cite YouTube Channels?

Here are the key points for a YouTube channel reference list and further citing:

Use (n.d.) for the date, as channels don't have a specific publication date.

Include a retrieval date, as channel content can change over time.

Use "Home [YouTube Channel]" as the title for all channel citations. If you want to cite other tabs, like "Playlists" or "Videos", use the name of that tab instead of "Home".

Provide the URL to the channel's main page.

When citing a channel, you're referring to its overall content, not a specific video.

You can cite multiple channels in one parenthetical citation when discussing a broader trend or comparison.

For narrative citations, try to incorporate the channel name naturally into your sentence.

Example of YouTube channels reference list and proper citations:

• Crash Course. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved September 22, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse

• Vsauce. (n.d.). Playlist [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce

• SciShow. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/scishow

• Khan Academy. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved May 25, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy
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• National Geographic. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. Retrieved May 26, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/user/NG

Parenthetical citation: Educational YouTube channels offer a wide range of content for self-directed learning (Crash Course, n.d.; Khan Academy, n.d.).
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Narrative citation: Crash Course (n.d.) offers a vast library of educational content, covering subjects from history and science to literature and economics.

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Why proper reference lists and citations matter?

Academic integrity: Properly credit others' work and ideas.

Source verification: Allow readers to find and check your sources.

Credibility: Demonstrate your research skills and attention to detail.

Citing correctly is part of good research. It's not exciting, but it's necessary. Follow the format, be consistent, and move on. Your work will be better for it.

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How to cite a YouTube video in APA style?