APA PowerPoint Citation is employed by scholars and researchers when referring to PowerPoint documents within their research work. The APA style of academic writing provides specific guidelines for correct PowerPoint citation in a research document, including the use of certain stipulations and formatting. In our discussion, we will not only cover the rules that must be adhered to but also present APA examples that demonstrate the appropriate way to cite PowerPoint sources.
APA PowerPoint Citation – In a Nutshell
- APA PowerPoint citation is used to reference PowerPoint slides used as sources in research.
- Researchers can cite PowerPoint sources from accessible and non-accessible sources.
- Citing PowerPoint files follows a standard format for APA formatted academic papers.
Definition: APA PowerPoint Citation
APA PowerPoint citation refers to the generally accepted ways of citing PowerPoint resources. It entails the correct formatting of PowerPoint slides that are accessible by the public as well as sources that are exclusive to an organization or institution. The APA guide gives directions on citation of PowerPoint sources and other research sources, including books, journals, and websites.
| APA format formula | Name of the author, Initials. Date (Year, month, day). Title of PowerPoint [PowerPoint slides]. Name of department, Name of Institution. URL |
| APA reference entry | Carver, F (2017). The hunt for red October [PowerPoint slides]. School of Humanities, University of Chicago. https://carver.soh.openport.edu/upload/location/656/2017/12/Chicagoredoctober.ppt |
| APA in-text citation | (Carver, 2017) |
APA PowerPoint Citation – Accessible to the readers
APA PowerPoint citation is used to cite PowerPoint documents that are accessible to the readers. Note that only such sources, i.e., accessible documents, should be mentioned in the reference list for readers to locate the originals source of the ideas proposed in a research publication.
Password-protected Platform
PowerPoint presentations owned by institutions may require login credentials to access them. APA PowerPoint citation of password-protected platforms requires that researchers provide the URL of the login page rather than the URL of the location of the files. Password-protected platforms include learning management systems used by institutions to store literary materials.
Public Websites
APA PowerPoint citation for accessible sources such as websites includes mentioning these sources in the reference list. For PowerPoint slides available on public sites, mention the name of the website instead of the university or department name.
| Password-protected Platform | Public Websites | |
| APA reference entry | Carter, D. (2019, August 4). Back to Basics [PowerPoint Slides]. Department of Arts, Cambridge University. https://login.balckboard.ca.ac.uk | Washington, P. (2012, January 12). Dashboards and Flowcharts [PowerPoint slides]. Universal. https://www.universal.com/pwashington/dashboards-and-flowcharts-jan-2012/12- UNDERSTANDING_THE_BASICS_SPPivot. |
| APA in-text citation | (Carter, 2019) | (Washington, 2012). |
This format can also be used for lecture notes and other slides. Use a suitable description in place of “PowerPoint slides.”
| APA reference style | Researchgate, (2018). Harvard 2nd volume: The revamped edition [Excel Online]. Microsoft 365. https://office.live.com/start/excel.aspx |
| APA in-text citation | (Researchgate, 2018). |
APA PowerPoint Citation – Not Accessible to the Readers
- If you’re citing PowerPoint sources inaccessible to the public, you should cite them as personal communication. However, you should consider the following conditions:
- When citing a PowerPoint file hosted by your university’s Canvas, you can use the standard format since your professor can easily access the PowerPoint slides.
- If you are citing the same PowerPoint file in your research paper for a journal, you should cite the source as a personal communication since the PowerPoint is inaccessible to your readers.
- Personal communications are mentioned in-text but are not included as a source in the reference list. For example:
Example
During the lecture, Warren stated that science is on the cusp of a “massive breakthrough” (personal communication, February 15, 2017).
APA PowerPoint Citation – Citing Quoted Information
Sometimes a lecturer may include a statistic or a quote in a slide for students to cite. When citing these, you should mention the original source if it is available. If you cannot find the original source, cite it as a second-hand source. In most cases, the information source will be included in the PowerPoint properties.
FAQs
Mention the name of the author, year, and PowerPoint title. Other details to include are the department’s names and the institution’s name.
Some PowerPoint files may be used as research sources. You should cite the URL of the login page instead of the URL of the file’s location.
Accessible PowerPoint slides can be included in the reference section of the research paper. PowerPoint slides that may be inaccessible to the public are cited as personal sources.
Personal information refers to PowerPoint sources included in a primary PowerPoint slide. It can be cited in-text to refer to a specific quote in a PowerPoint slide.
