How to cite a video in APA format​: APA format explained

With the popularity of online videos, citing videos has become an important skill in academic writing. Whether it's online classes, YouTube videos, documentaries or movies, video materials can provide powerful support for your research. However, how to cite videos correctly to comply with academic standards, especially APA format, often confuses many students and researchers. In this article, we will introduce in detail how to correctly cite videos in APA format, as well as common citation formats and precautions to help you ensure the accuracy and standardization of citations.

Basic rules for citing videos in APA format

In APA format, the basic structure of a video citation includes the following elements:

1. Video Publisher : The creator or publisher of the video.

2. Release Date : The year the video was released.

3. Video title : Use italics and capitalize the first letter of the title.

4. Video type description : Indicate that this is a "video" or "video" (for example, Video [V] or YouTube Video).

5. Source : URL link of the video.

1. Quote videos from video platforms such as YouTube

Format :
Publisher. (Published Date). Video Title [Video]. Website Name. URL

Example :
PewDiePie. (2019, August 3). The best video ever [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example123

illustrate :

• Publisher : If it is published by an individual user, use the user's name; if it is published by an organization, use the name of the organization.

• Publication date : Use the specific year, month and day format.

• Video title : In the title, only the first letter of the word and the first letter of the proper noun is capitalized.

• Video type : Add "[video]" after the video title to indicate that it is a video.

• URL : Provides a complete web link.

2. Quote videos from movies or TV shows

Format :
Director's last name, initials. (Director). (Year of release). Film title [Video]. Production company.

Example :
Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic Park [Film]. Universal Pictures.

illustrate :

• Director : The director of the video. If it is a movie or TV series, provide the director's name.

• Video title : written in italics.

• Film type : Use "[Film]" to indicate this is a movie or video.

• Production Company : List the company that produced and distributed the film.

3. Quoting videos from documentaries

Format :
Producer last name, initials. (Production). (Year). Documentary title [Documentary]. Production company.

Example :
Gibney, A. (Producer). (2005). Enron: The smartest guys in the room [Documentary]. Magnolia Pictures.

illustrate :

• Producer : The primary producer or director of a documentary.

• Documentary title : written in italics.

• Documentary type : Use "[Documentary]" to indicate this is a documentary.

• Production Company : Lists the production company of the documentary.

Things to note

• If the video does not have an exact release date, use "nd" (no date) instead of the date.

• Video titles should be kept in italics without quotation marks.

• If the video platform does not have an individual author or institution, the name of the citation may serve as the "publisher."