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Citation Style Guide

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Why Cite?

  • Citations let your professor, or anyone else who reads your work, find the items you used in your research. The key to a successful citation is providing all the information needed for your reader to find the book, article, or other item you are citing.
  • Citing builds your credibility and shows that your ideas are shared by other experts in the field. Citing scholarly, peer-reviewed sources lends extra credibility to your work.
  • Citation avoids plagiarism! Citing your sources properly gives credit to the original author. 

Citing Twitter, Facebook, and Other Social Media

 

Twitter Twitter Logo

MLA (Modern Language Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. (handle). "Full text of tweet." Day month year posted, time posted. Tweet.
  • Example - American U Library (AULibrary). "2015 winners of Library Research Awards. Don't miss your chance to win $1k this year! #tbt http://bit.ly/1XKYPBf." 3 Mar 2016, 12:31 PM. Tweet.

APA (American Psychological Association)

  • @handle. (Year, month day posted). Full text of tweet. [Twitter post]. Retrieved from URL
  • Example - @AULibrary. (2016, March 3). 2015 winners of Library Research Awards. Don't miss your chance to win $1k this year! #tbt http://bit.ly/1XKYPBf.  [Twitter post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/AULibrary/status/705490693574135808

Chicago Manual of Style

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username] (@handle). Year. "Full text of tweet." Twitter, Month day, year, time posted. URL.
  • Example - American U Library (@AULibrary). 2016. "2015 winners of Library Research Awards. Don't miss your chance to win $1k this year! #tbt http://bit.ly/1XKYPBf." Twitter, March 3, 2016, 12:31 p.m. https://twitter.com/AULibrary/status/705490693574135808.

 

Facebook (or other similar sites, like Google+) Facebook Logo

MLA (Modern Language Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname. "First several words of Facebook post..." Day month year posted, time posted. Facebook.
  • Example - American University Library. "One week left to apply for your chance to win $1,000!" 11 Mar 2016, 12:15 PM. Facebook.

APA (American Psychological Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname. (Year, month day posted). First several words of Facebook post... [Facebook update]. Retrieved from URL
  • Example - American University Library (2016, March 11). One week left to apply for your chance to win $1,000!  [Facebook post]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/AULibrary/posts/10153431856787157

Chicago Manual of Style

  • Lastname, Firstname. Year. "Text of first sentence or phrase Facebook post." Facebook, Month day, year posted. URL.
  • Example - American University Library. 2016. "One week left to apply for your chance to win $1,000!"  March 11, 2016. https://www.facebook.com/AULibrary/posts/10153431856787157.

 

YouTube or other online video YouTube logo

MLA (Modern Language Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. "Title of YouTube Video." Online video. Day month year posted. YouTube.
  • Example - AU Library. "This semester on... AU Library!" Online video. 25 Aug 2015. YouTube.

APA (American Psychological Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. (Year, month day posted). Title of YouTube Video. [Video file]. Retrieved from URL
  • Example - AU Library. (2015, August 25). This semester on... AU Library! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0dXw2RWqzpk

Chicago Manual of Style

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. "Title of YouTube Video." Video, length of video, Month day, year posted. URL.
  • Example - AU Library. "This semester on... AU Library!" YouTube video, 2:23, August 25, 2015. https://youtu.be/0dXw2RWqzpk.
     

Instagram Instagram Logo

MLA (Modern Language Association)

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. (handle). "First several words of Instagram post (if any)..." Day month year posted. Instagram.
  • Example - American University Library (aulibrary). "Our view of the busy quad..." 24 Mar 2016. Instagram.

APA (American Psychological Association)

  • handle. (Year, month day posted). First several words of Instagram post (if any)... [Instagram post]. Retrieved from URL
  • Example - aulibrary. (2016, March 24). Our view of the busy quad… [Instagram post]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BDWURHtoCbG/

Chicago Manual of Style

  • Lastname, Firstname [or single username] (@handle). Year. "Text of first sentence or phrase Instagram post." Instagram, Month day, year posted. URL.
  • Example - American University Library (@aulibrary). 2016. "Our view of the busy quad today!" Instagram, March 24, 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BDWURHtoCbG/.

 

This page is adapted and repurposed from http://gouldguides.carleton.edu/citation/social . A huge thanks to the creators of the original page!!