APA 6th Edition YouTube Video Citation With Examples

A critical rule in academic writing is that you must include proper citations for all your sources. The APA style 6th edition provides specific guidelines for proper citation. Nowadays, YouTube videos are often used as sources in research studies. It is essential to cite sources properly, ensuring to credit the author or channel names properly and thus, avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity for your own sake. This article provides a comprehensive guide.

Definition: APA 6th edition YouTube video citation

The basic APA 6th edition YouTube video citation guideline is that the citation must include

• the video title (must be italicized),
• the name of the channel that uploaded it,
• the date it was uploaded, and a link to it.

You can use this format for APA YouTube video citation when referencing videos from streaming sites.

APA 6th edition YouTube video citation: Finding the Information

You can easily locate the information you need for APA 6th edition YouTube video citation on YouTube.

• The video title – Right beneath the video
• The publication date – Right under the title, next to the view count.
• The channel name – The same as the account username, which is typically below the publication date and next to a profile photo.

You can find a shortened link to the video by clicking on the “share” icon and selecting “copy link.”

APA 6th edition YouTube video citation: Authors and channel names

The APA 6th edition YouTube video citation requires you to list the video’s uploader as the author. If you do not know the uploader’s real name, you can indicate the channel name. However, if you know the uploader’s real name or if it is different from the channel name, you should include both. In this case, write the real name in the standard format and add the channel name next to it in square brackets.

APA 6th edition YouTube video citation: In-text citations

According to the APA 6th edition YouTube video citation manual, the in-text citation of a YouTube video should feature whichever name appears first in the full reference list. This could be the real name or the channel name.

APA 6th edition YouTube video citation: Citing a YouTube channel

Sometimes, you may need to cite an entire YouTube channel instead of a specific video. In this case, you don’t need to include the year the channel was created.

• Instead, use “n.d,” meaning “no date.”
• Instead of (video file), write (YouTube channel) in square brackets.
• Add (home) before (YouTube channel) to refer to the channel’s homepage.

However, if you are citing something else, like a playlist tab, you can replace the (home) accordingly.