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Citation Guide

This guide gives overviews and sample citations for MLA and APA citation styles.

AudioVisual

Audiovisual Media can include

Both Visual and Audio Audio Only Visual Only
  • Films
  • TV shows
  • YouTube videos
  • Music
  • Speech recordings
  • Artwork
  • PowerPoint slides
  • Photographs

Essential elements:

  • Author/producer- last name, first (or production company if no individual is stated)
  • Year of the work
  • Title of the work
    • Describe the audiovisual work in square brackets ([Film], [TV series], etc.)
  • Publisher
  • Web address or database, if online

Videos

General Format
Producer, First initial. Second initial. (Producer), & Director, First initial. Second initial. (Director). (Year). Title of the

motion picture [Motion Picture]. Country of origin: Studio.

DVD

Producer, First initial. Second initial. (Producer). (Year). Title of film [DVD]. City, State: Production Company.

Example

Rivera, J. (Producer), & Docter, P. (Director). (2002). Monsters Inc. [Motion Picture]. California, CA: Buena

Vista Home Entertainment.

YouTube Video

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name. (Year, Month Day
{of video post}). Title of video [Video file]. Retrieved from (URL of specific video)
 
Example:

  Johnstone, H. (2015, January 20). How to Peel Garlic with a jar! Amazing! [Video

file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6oUprDLp-E

Video from a Library Database

Crump, James. (2015). Troublemakers: The Story of Land Art [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://pstcc.kanopystreaming.com/video/troublemakers

No Author for Video from a Library Database

Media Rich Learning (2009). The Civil Rights Movement [Video file]. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.pstcc.edu:3443/login?

url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=104169&xtid=47589

Music Recording

Writer, First initial. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by (First initial. Second initial.) Artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording: CD, record, cassette, etc.]. Location: Label. (Recording date if different from copyright date).

CD

Taupin, B. (1975). Someone saved my life tonight [Recorded by Elton John]. On Captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy [CD]. London, England: Big Pig Music Limited.

Music from a Library Database

Title of Song [Medium]. (Copyright Year). Production/Record Company. (Year produced). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from Database Name.

Example:

Sing a Bluegrass Song [Streaming Audio]. (2011). Rebel. (2011). Retrieved February 25, 2016, from Music Online: American Song. 

Online Media

Include as much of the following information as available when citing Web sites:

  • Name of author(s)
  • Date of publication
  • Name of Web page
  • URL of Web page

Tips to remember:

  • Italicize the name of the Web page. The name of the overall Web site is not needed.
  • Capitalize only the first word of the page's title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Do not place a period after the page's URL to end the citation. This will corrupt the URL address.
  • Try to keep the URL on one line. If it must continue onto another line, be sure to break the URL before a forward slash (/).

Web Page

Example:

 

Web Page, No Stated Author

If no author can be found, begin the citation with the title of the Web page.

Example:

Africa: arts and cultures. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/world_cultures/africa

         /africa_arts_and_cultures.aspx

 

Blog

If the author's full name cannot be found, it is acceptable to use the blogger's screen name.

Examples:

Lessig, L. (2009, April 26). Architects of openness [Web log message]. Retrieved from

         http://lessig.org/blog/2009/04/architects_of_openness.html

 

Annoyed Librarian. (2009, July 22). Improving neighborhood libraries [Web log message]. Retrieved from

         http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/580000658/post/210046821.html