how to reference a youtube video in an essay

How do I cite YouTube videos?

MLA style gives authors several ways to cite YouTube videos.

If you are citing a video in which the primary creator or author is clear, you can list that creator in the Author element. The following provides an example of a citation for the music video of Beyoncé’s song “Pretty Hurts”:

Beyoncé. “Beyoncé – Pretty Hurts (Video).”  YouTube , 24 Apr. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXQLa-5n5w.

The title of the video is copied exactly as it appears on YouTube . The container is YouTube , followed by the date listed below the video and the Location element (the URL of the video).

If it’s not clear who the primary creator or author of a video is, you could omit the Author element and begin the citation with the title of the video:

“Capybara Eat Huge Pumpkin.”  YouTube , uploaded by Alex Smith, 12 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YNwxZnABzA.

In this example, the video’s creator is not specified. The name of the account that uploaded the video is provided in the Contributor element, after the title of the container, YouTube . Even if it’s clear who the author or creator of a video is, you might opt to include the name of the account that uploaded the video in the Contributor element if it provides helpful information.

If you are citing an entire work uploaded to YouTube , such as a film, use what you see on YouTube to cite the work in MLA style. Here is an example citation for a film:

Moby Dick . Directed by John Huston, MGM, 1956. YouTube , 8 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Yc8KPH-X0.

Details about the film’s original publication are found in the  YouTube description below the video and so are provided in the citation. Here  Moby Dick  is a self-contained work, and so its title is listed as the first container. It is followed by the Contributor, Publisher, and Date elements. YouTube is the title of the second container, followed by the Date and Location elements.

For more on how to cite YouTube  videos in MLA style, see our posts on citing TV episodes on YouTube and interviews on YouTube , as well as our related posts on citing online videos  and formatting titles of uploaded videos.

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Harvard Referencing – How to Cite a YouTube Video

2-minute read

• 28th February 2017

Once you’ve watched all of the unboxing videos YouTube has to offer (assuming you have a spare century), you might want to check out the lectures and educational content available. In fact, you might even want to cite them in your work .

But since YouTube videos aren’t conventional academic sources, the rules for citing them are a little different. In this post, we look at how to cite an online video with Harvard referencing .

In-Text Citations

Since a YouTube video does not have an author in the conventional sense, you can instead cite the title and the year it was uploaded:

Ian Ayre describes Rawls’ veil of ignorance as important in philosophy and law ( Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance , 2015).

Here, for example, we give the name of the video, even though the video names Ian Ayre as the presenter.

You can even quote a YouTube video in your work. To do this, provide a timestamp to show where the quoted passage occurs in the video:

Decision makers behind a veil of ignorance make ‘better and less biased choices’ ( Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance , 2015, 00:02:20).

In this case, the timestamp shows that the passage occurs two minutes and twenty seconds into the video. This is equivalent to giving page numbers when quoting a print source.

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In the Reference List

As with other sources, YouTube videos cited in your work should be added to a reference list at the end of your document. The format for these references is:

Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].

For the video cited in the examples above, for instance, we’d write:

Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance  (2015) YouTube video, added by YaleCourses [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rRzMeAkULc [Accessed 19 December 2016].

Harvard Referencing: A Proviso

Keep in mind that Harvard referencing is not a single, unified system. As such, you should check your style guide in case the rules your university uses differ from those described here.

If your style guide doesn’t give specific information on citing a YouTube video, the method here should be fine. Just remember to make your referencing clear and consistent throughout!

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Youtube Video

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
• Journal Article 21 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government Document
• Film and Television

Youtube Video

• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Twitter/Instagram
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Citation Support
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting Your Paper

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname OR Screen name, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

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

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Norton, 2006)

Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA YouTube Citations

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

Citing a youtube video.

According the official MLA Style website , you start the citation off with the title of the video in quotation marks. The name of the website, YouTube , comes next, followed by the name of the YouTube channel, also called the video uploader. Finally, include the date the video was uploaded and the URL of the video at the end of the citation.

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It’s 100% free to create MLA citations. The EasyBib Citation Generator also supports 7,000+ other citation styles. These other styles—including APA, Chicago, and Harvard—are accessible for anyone with an EasyBib Plus subscription.

No matter what citation style you’re using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) the EasyBib Citation Generator can help you create the right bibliography quickly.

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Creating an account is not a requirement for generating MLA citations. However, registering for an EasyBib account is free and an account is how you can save all the citation you create. This can help make it easier to manage your citations and bibliographies.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

It supports MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7,000 total citation styles.

To cite a YouTube video in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the title of the video, publication date, uploader’s name, and URL. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of a YouTube video and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the title of the video. Use title case and enclose the video title in double quotation marks.

In parenthetical citations, always use only the shortened title. If the title is already short, especially if it forms a rhetorical unit (e.g., “Is Nothing Sacred?”), you can use the full video title in the parenthetical citation. Enclose the title in double quotation marks.

When creating in-text citations for time-based media, such as a video, cite the relevant total time or a particular time span if it displays. For instance, the range of hours, minutes, and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

Citation in prose:

First mention: “Time Is But a Stubborn Illusion” …. (00:04:23)

Parenthetical:

….(“Time” 00:04:23).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The video title is set in title case and inside quotation marks. This is followed by the container title for the website “ YouTube ” where the video appears. The website title is in italics. Then the uploader’s name is given followed by the uploaded date. Finally, the URL is given.

“Title of the Video.” YouTube , uploaded by Uploader’s Name, Day Month Year, URL.

“Time Is But a Stubborn Illusion.” YouTube , uploaded by National Geographic, 24 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyYqyYAKGC0 .

To cite a movie in MLA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the director’s name, year, movie title, and production company. The templates and examples for an in-text citation and works cited list entry for a movie are provided below:

Movie Title

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

( Shortened Movie Title )

( The Prime )

For the parenthetical citation, the title should be shortened to the shortest noun phrase.

Reference list entry template and example:

Title of the Movie . Directed by Director First Name Surname, Production Company, Release year.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . Directed by Ronald Neamie, 20th Century Fox, 1969.

Use “Directed by” before the director’s name and write the movie title in italics and title case.

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Citing a YouTube Video

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• Select style:
• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
• Conference proceedings
• Dictionary entry
• Dissertation
• DVD, video, or film
• E-book or PDF
• Edited book
• Encyclopedia article
• Government publication
• Music or recording
• Online image or video
• Presentation
• Press release
• Religious text

With smartphones and lightning fast Wi-Fi now part of everyday life, it is difficult to remember a time when online resources were not available to researchers and students. How did we ever find information quickly?

Some of the most popular and talked about types of online media are videos, like the kinds that millions of people view every day on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. While these sources are great ways to learn about a new topic in a fast and easy way, it can be tempting to neglect citing them properly in your paper.

Need to cite an online video that you’ve used for a research paper? You’ve come to the right place. Read on for guidelines on how to cite this type of source in MLA style, APA style, Harvard, and Chicago style. Also for consideration, Cite This For Me has a handy form for citing an online image or video.

Not sure which citation style you should be using? Check with your professor and ask which style they prefer before you start writing your paper and references.

What Information Do I Need?

The most efficient way to make citations for your paper is to develop them as you’re writing, instead of waiting until the end to start adding them. By completing them as you need them within your paper, you will be less likely to forget to include an important source that you used, and therefore be less likely to be accused of plagiarism.

The types of information you include in your online video citation can vary based on the particular source you are referencing and your citation style. Here is a list of the most frequently needed data points. We’ll be using the video example linked here below and throughout this guide:

Author/contributor names (this could also be an organization or a username in some cases): Brad Traversy Video title: CSS Crash Course For Absolute Beginners Website where you viewed the video: YouTube Date the video was published: July 19th 2017 Video publisher: Traversy Media Date you viewed the video: July 25th 2018 Video running time: 1:25:10 URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI<

In-Text Citations

After you reference an online video in your paper, you should include an in-text citation that signals to the reader where you got your information from. These types of citations can be added into the sentences of your project and can look parenthetical (like this), or be footnotes that match up with a similarly numbered citation in a bibliography. All of this depends on which citation style you’re using.

Let’s take a look at some examples of how to cite an online video in MLA, APA, Chicago style format, and Harvard styles.

How to Cite an Online Video in APA Style

APA parenthetical citation: (Traversy, 2017)

APA parenthetical citation after quotation: (Traversy, 2017, 0:10)

Full citation:

Traversy, B. (2017, July 19). CSS crash course for absolute beginners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI

How to Cite an Online Video in MLA Style

MLA parent hetical citation: (“CSS Crash Course”)

“CSS Crash Course for Absolute Beginners.” YouTube , uploaded by Traversy Media, 19 Jul. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI.

Note that MLA includes account name that uploaded the video in the “other contributors” slot since there is often no way to verify whether the account that uploaded the video and the author of the video are the same entity.

How to Cite an Online Video in Chicago Style Format (footnote/bibliography style)

Brad Traversy, “CSS Crash Course for Absolute Beginners,” YouTube Video, 1:25:10, July 19, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI.

Bibliography:

Traversy, Brad. “CSS Crash Course for Absolute Beginners.” YouTube Video, 1:25:10. July 19, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI.

How to Cite an Online Video in Harvard Style*

*This is according to Harvard Cite Them Right Style 10th edition.

Harvard referencing parenthetical citation: (Traversy, 2017)

Traversy (2017) CSS crash course for absolute beginners. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfoY53QXEnI (Accessed: 25 July 2018).

Making citations for online videos is easier than ever with Cite This For Me!

The in-text citation in APA style, in general, includes only the names of the contributors (or authors) and the publication year. The author of an audiovisual work depends on the type of media. YouTube is an audiovisual work for which the uploader’s name should be used in the author’s place. Therefore, to cite YouTube in the text, you need to include the name of the uploader of the YouTube video (though the uploader is not the original creator of the work) and the publication year.

Below you will find an example of how to format an in-text citation for YouTube in APA style:

Narrative: Uploader’s Surname (Year)

Parenthetical: (Uploader’s Surname, Year)

Narrative: Tucker (2017)

Parenthetical: (Tucker, 2017)

To provide an in-text citation for a YouTube video in MLA style, a shortened form of the video title is used.

Format for the In-text Citation for a YouTube Video

Prose: “Shortened Title of the Video”

Parenthetical: (“Shortened Title of the Video”)

Prose: The documentary “Dark Clouds” . . .

Parenthetical: (“Dark Clouds”)

If a specific portion of the video is the focus, a time stamp is used displaying the relevant hours, minutes, and seconds.

Format for the In-text Citation for a YouTube Video of a Television Show with a Time Stamp

Prose: “ Title ” (Time stamp)

Parenthetical: (“ Title ” Time stamp)

Prose: In the opening scene from an episode of “ Friends ” (00:00:02-00:03:10) . . .

Parenthetical: (“ Friends ” 00:00:02-00:03:10)

Per Chapter 10 of the APA Publication Manual , a reference list entry for a YouTube video should include the name of the channel and/or name of the person who uploaded the video, the date the video was published, title of the video, and URL.

The templates and examples below show how to create a reference list entry for a YouTube video in APA style.

Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial. [Channel Name]. (Year, Month Date video was published). Name of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (2021, May 28). Noah Webster’s influence on American English [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqszseM7xlM

If the name of the uploader is unknown, or if the video was posted by an institution/organization, use the institution’s name instead of the individual contributor’s name at the beginning of your citation.

Institution/Organization Name. (Year, Month Date video was published). Name of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

TED. (2012, October 1). Your body language may shape who you are | Amy Cuddy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

While the MLA handbook does not provide specific guidelines for citing a comment in the comments section for a YouTube video, it does provide guidelines and an example on how to provide references for comments generally. Most importantly, your citation should help the reader to easily locate the source (in this case, the comment made).

Commenter’s Name. Comment on “Video Name.” Website , uploaded by Uploader Name, Date, URL.

Bunh The Chau. Comment on “Chegg Writing: Grammar & Plagiarism.” YouTube , uploaded by Chegg, 12 Nov. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPFg5KI_6ZI.

The in-text citation formats are provided below. The first time a resource is mentioned, a citation in prose format should be used. Thereafter, either format can be used.

Citation in Prose: Name

Bunh The Chau

Parenthetical Citation: (Name)

(Bunh The Chau)

To format a footnote to a YouTube video in Chicago style, include the speaker(s) in the video (if known), the title of the video, the uploader of the video, the date posted, an indication of the source type (e.g., “YouTube video”), the length of the video, and the URL. The idiosyncratic capitalization (“YouTube”) must be preserved.

• Peter Thomson et al., “The Sustainable Development Goal 4, Education – Press Conference (28 June 2017),” United Nations, streamed on June 28, 2017, YouTube video, 31:28, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Wt3K1DgDw&list=PLwoDFQJEq_0buo7GDyAEJ9QNbhUuRnIQY.

To format a bibliography entry for a YouTube video in Chicago style, include the speaker’s name(s) in the author element (if known) in inverse order (e.g., Biden, Joe.), the title of the video, the uploader’s name, the streaming date, an indication of the source type (e.g., “YouTube video”), the length of the video, and the URL. The idiosyncratic capitalization (“YouTube”) should be preserved.

“40 Dangerous Animals Caught Being Friendly.” Come Along. Streamed on December 8, 2021. YouTube video, 18:38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qf1iPGd_Sk.

To cite a comment on a YouTube video in a footnote, include the commenter name, the date of comment (if available), the phrase “comment on,” followed by the video’s citation information, including the video’s title, the uploader, the streaming date, the video format (YouTube video), the video length, and the URL.

• Raja Izhar, comment on “The Sustainable Development Goal 4, Education – Press Conference (28 June 2017),” United Nations, streamed on June 28, 2017, YouTube video, 31:28, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Wt3K1DgDw&list=PLwoDFQJEq_0buo7GDyAEJ9QNbhUuRnIQY.

As per MLA style, the account name of the uploader is included in the “other contributors” section. More often than not, videos are uploaded by a person who is not the creator. Further, there is no way with the information provided that a user can verify if the video’s creator and uploader are the same person. Hence, the account name is included in the “other contributors” section.

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Films/Videos/TV Shows

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Film or Video

Streaming Video From a Website (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

Streaming video from a subscription media website (netflix, amazon prime, hulu, etc.), streaming video from a library database, television series episode.

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Who to Credit - Film or Video

The director should be credited as the author of a film. If the director is unknown, someone in a similar role, such as a producer and/or writer, can be credited. To clarify what role the person has in the production, their job title such as Director is put after their name in round brackets if the job title is known.

Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Website

For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.

Note : It is not necessary to specify how you watched a film or video (e.g. motion picture, DVD, streaming online). 

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Film or Video

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is known:

Director/Producer/Writer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title). (Year film was produced).  Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. Production Company.

Note: If not produced in the United States, list the city name and the country.

Hallam, J. (Producer, Writer), & Lam, K. (Producer, Director). (2010).  Staff relations in healthcare: Working as a team  [Film]. Insight Media.

• When you have more than one producer, writer and/or writer to credit, separate the names with a comma and put an ampersand (&) before the last person's last name.
• Serling, R. (Executive Producer). (1959–1964). The twilight zone [TV series]. Cayuga Productions; CBS Productions.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010)

Note: This example has two people to credit, so both last names are given)

In-Text Quote:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010, 2:30)

Note: Because the timestamp serves the same purpose in a video as page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, you include it in the in-text citation. Include only the beginning timestamp.

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is not known:  Start the citation with the film title.

Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. (Year film was produced). Production Company if Known.

Era of viruses  [Film]. (2006). Films for the Humanities and Sciences.

( Title of Film , Year)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006)

Note: Italicize the title of the film and capitalize the words for the in-text citation.

( Title of Film , Year, Timestamp)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006, 40:00)

When the Poster's Name is known: 

Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video]. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note: According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted the video is credited as the author.

Nye, B. [TheRealBillNye]. (2009, April 8).  Bill Nye the science guy on energy  [Video]. YouTube. http://youtu.be/0ASLLiuejAo

(Creator's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Nye, 2009)

(Creator's Last Name, Year, timestamp)

Example: (Nye, 2009, 0:55)

When the Poster's Name is not known: 

User name that posted the video. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

All Aces Media. (2012, January 19).  Often awesome the series  [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/35311255

(User name, Year)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012, timestamp)

Producer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Producer). (Year of Publication).  Title of Video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note:  When you have one producer (Producer) is used after the producer's name. If you have more than one producer use (Producers) instead.

Allen, T., et. al. (Producers). (2017). The story of Diana  [Video]. Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

(Producer Last name, Year)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017)

(Producer Last name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017, 6:45)

Name of Company/Organization that Provided Content or Creator's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. if known. (Year video was created, Month Day if known).  Title of video  [Video]. Database Name.

National Film Board of Canada. (2014).  Making movie history: The women  [Video]. NFB Campus. 

(Name of Company/Organization, Year)

Example: (National Film Board of Canada, 2014)

(Name of Company/Organization, Year, Timestamp)

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Production Company.

Note: For other countries, list the city name and the country.

Young, R. (Writer, Producer, Director). (2010). Flying cheap (Season 2010, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In  Frontline . American University School of Communication's Investigative Reporting Workshop.

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Young, 2010)

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Young, 2010, 15:38)

Television Series Episode Viewed on a Subscription Media Website 

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Streaming Video Site. URL

Attenborough, D. (Writer). (2001). Ocean world (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In A. Fothergill (Executive producer),  Blue planet: A natural history of the oceans . Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

Example: (Attenborough, 2001)

 (Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Attenborough, 2001, 10:12)

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MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

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The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.

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• Writing Tips

How to Cite a YouTube Video in Harvard Referencing

3-minute read

• 6th October 2019

YouTube isn’t just for makeup tutorials and travel vlogs. Sometimes, you may come across something you want to cite in an essay . In this post, then, we’re looking at how to cite a YouTube video in  Harvard referencing , including both in-text citations and the entry in the reference list.

Citing a YouTube Video in Harvard Referencing

Generally, YouTube videos are not the most academic sources, so you may be better off looking for a book or journal article that covers similar information. However, if you’re confident that the video is suitably rigorous to use in your writing, you’ll need to cite it like any other source.

The process for this is a little different for a YouTube video, since you do not need an author’s surname in the citation. Instead, you should cite the title and the year it was uploaded. For example:

The presence of the word “male” in “female” is actually a coincidence ( Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t , 2016).

Here, for instance, the title of the video is Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t . Between this and the year of publication, the reader will be able to find the full source information in the reference list.

Furthermore, if you need to quote a YouTube video directly, you won’t be able to cite any page numbers. But you can provide a timestamp for the part of the video you’re quoting, such as in the following:

According to Arika Okrent in  Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t  (2016, 00:00:20), “The eventual overlap in pronunciation was accidental.”

This shows that the quote is taken from twenty seconds into the video. The reader would then be able to look up the video and skip to the cited section.

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Online Videos in a Harvard Reference List

Any YouTube video cited in your work should be added to the reference list at the end of the document. The format for a YouTube video here is:

Title of Video  (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].

For the video cited above, then, the full reference would be:

Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t  (2016) YouTube video, added by Arika Okrent [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_3PNlkaKs [Accessed 8 November 2016].

The key is providing enough information for readers to find the video.

A Quick Note on Harvard Referencing

“Harvard referencing” is actually a generic term for parenthetical author–date referencing . As such, different universities often have in-house versions of Harvard referencing. And while different versions of this referencing style have much in common, they can also vary in some respects.

As a result, you should always check your style guide for advice if you’ve been asked to use Harvard referencing in a document. And if you need any help checking that your referencing is clear and consistent, don’t forget to submit your documents to our academic proofreading service .

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