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APA 7th ed. - Referencing Tool

Referencing - Social Media

Facebook

  • - Personal authors names follow the format: Surname, First initial, Second initial. 
  • - Corporate Author or Social media identity names are printed in full.
  • - If there is no name or title of the post use the content or caption (up to the first 40 words).
  • - Indicate the type of post in square brackets eg. [Facebook post] or [Status update]. Facebook.
  • - Please provide a precise URL.  Click on the post's date stamp to access the URL.

 

Personal Author Example

Surname, Initial. (Year, Month, Day ; if not known, put n.d.). Title of specific document [status update]. Facebook. URL of specific document

Corporate Author Example

Corporate Author Name. (Year, Month, Day ; if not known, put n.d.). Title of specific document [status update]. Facebook.  URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation:

Obama (2016) has confirmed that addressing climate change is a priority . . .

 

 References:

Obama, B.. (2016, August 13). The Clean Power Plan is a significant step in combating climate change – and we need to keep moving forward [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/photos /a.53081056748.66806.6815841748/10154073260291749/?type=3&theatre

 

Twitter

  • - Personal authors names follow the format: Surname, First initial, Second initial. 
  • - Corporate Author or Social media identity names are printed in full.
  • - If there is no name or title of the post use the content or caption (up to the first 40 words).
  • - Indicate the type of post in square brackets eg. [Tweet].
  • - Please provide a precise URL.  Click on the post's date stamp to access the URL.

 

Example

Personal or Corporate Author. (Year, Month, Day ; if not known, put n.d.). Title of specific document [Tweet]. URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

 

 In-Text Citation:
President Obama announced the launch of the American Graduation Initiative (Obama, 2009).

References:

Obama, B. [BarackObama]. (2009, July 15). Launched American Graduation Initiative to help additional 5 mill. Americans graduate college by 2020: http://bit.ly/gcTX7 [Tweet]. http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/2651151366

 

Instagram

  • - Include Author, A.A. and then the screen name in square brackets

Example

Personal or Corporate Author. [screen name] (Year, Month, Day ; if not known, put n.d.). Title of specific document [Photograph]. URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

 

 In-Text Citation:
. . . (White Rabbit Gallery, 2020)

References:

White Rabbit Gallery [@whiterabbitgallery]. (2020, October 20). Welcome to the official Instagram for #whiterabbitgallery The White Rabbit Gallery is open [Photograph]. Instagram.com/whiterabbitgallery/

 

LinkedIn

  • - It is not possible to tell what date a LinkedIn profile was published, so only the retrieval date is included.

 

Example

Personal or Corporate Author. LinkedIn [Profile page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved (date of retrieval), from URL of specific document

In text example

 Reference list example

 

 In-Text Citation:
. . . (Schiller Palmisano, n.d.).

References:

Schiller Palmisano, N. (n.d.). LinkedIn [Profile page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved July 12, 2012, from http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top

 

Two Different Sources, Same Author and Year

  • - If you are using two different sources with the same author and year of publication (regardless of the month or day), you will need to distinguish these in both your in-text citations and your reference list. 
  • - Add a lowercase 'a' following the year to the first citation to appear in the body of your assignment. Add letters to subsequent sources  in order. 
  • - The sources will appear in your Reference List in the same order that they appear in the body of your assignment.

In text example

 Reference list example

 

In-Text Citation:

He also stated that he was “humbled” to have received the Nobel Peace Prize (Obama, 2009a).

President Obama announced the launch of the American Graduation Initiative (Obama, 2009b).

 References:

Obama, B. (2009a, October 9). Humbled [Status update]. Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/posted.php? id=6815841748&share_id=154954250775&comments=1#s154954250775

Obama, B. [BarackObama]. (2009b, July 15). Launched American Graduation Initiative to help additional 5 mill. Americans graduate college by 2020: http://bit.ly/gcTX7. [Tweet]. http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/2651151366