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APA 7th Edition: Social Media

This guide will help you simplify the APA citation style, which is primarily used by disciplines in the business, social sciences, health, and education fields. The official guide is published by the American Psychological Association.

Social Media Examples

Facebook Page

Facebook Profile. (n.d.). Use the page title. [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved date, from http://xxxxx

Example:

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (n.d.). Home ​[Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved July

22, 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/nationalzoo

Parenthetical citation: (Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, n.d.)  ​

Facebook Post

Facebook Profile. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words. [Status update or Infographic]. Site Name. http://xxxxx

Example:

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018, November 28). Suicide affects all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Check

out these 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain [Infographic]. Facebook. http://bit.ly/321Qstq

Parenthetical citation: (National Institute of Mental Health, 2018)  

Instagram Photo or Video

Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Caption of photo or video. [Photograph or Video]. Site name. Retrieved date,

from http://xxxxx

Example:

Zeitz MOCAA [@zeitzmocaa]. (2018, November 26). Grade 6 learners from Parkfields Primary School in Hanover Park

visited the museum for a tour and workshop hosted by [Photographs]. Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqpHpjFBs3b/

Parenthetical citation: (Zeitz MOCAA, 2018)  

Tweet

Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Tweet]. Site Name. http://xxxxx

Example:

White, B. [@BettyMWhite]. (2018, June 21). I treasure every minute we spent together #koko [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter.

https://twitter.com/BettyMWhite/status/1009951892846227456

Parenthetical citation: (White, 2018)  

Twitter Profile

Author, A. A. [username]. Tweets [Twitter profile]. Site Name. Retrieved date, from http://xxxxx

Example:

APA Style [@APA_Style]. Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved November 1, 2019, from https://twitter.com/APA_Style

Parenthetical citation: (APA, 2019)  

​YouTube Video

Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Site name. http://xxxxx

Example:

Fogarty, M [Grammar Girl.] (2016, September 30). How to diagram a sentence (absolute basics) [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deiEY5Yq1qI

Parenthetical citation: (Fogarty, 2016)