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APA Style Guide, 7th ed.

This guide provides tips and examples for APA style formatting of papers and citations.

Social Media

About Social Media Sources

Cite any original content you use from social media sources. For articles found on social media, cite the article directly. To cite social media content, follow the formats listed in the following sections. Find more information about referencing social media at the APA Style Website.


Facebook Post

Use the name associated with the post in the author's name spot. Use the date the message was posted. For the Title position, provide the content of the post up to the first 20 words and include a content description in brackets. Credit Facebook as the site name, and end with the URL of the post.

Examples

Lawson, J. [The Bloggess]. (2020, February 14). Outside of Nowhere Bookshop right now: [Image attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/jennythebloggess/photos/a.10152310312171511/10156482246036511/?type=3&theater

New York Public Library. (2020, February 22). Get crafty with this free download from The New York Public Library Shop of the 125 Books We Love list! [Image attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nypl/posts/10158101585597351


Tweet

Start with the person or organization's real name, then put their Twitter handle in brackets. Use the date the message was posted. For the Title position, provide the content of the post up to the first 20 words and include a content description in brackets. Credit Twitter as the site name, and end with the URL of the tweet.

Examples

Cosumnes River College [@ChooseCRC]. (2020, February 19). TODAY | Join us for today's OneBook, Black History Month event, "Restoring the Rights of Formerly Incarcerated Citizens" with Assembly member [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/ChooseCRC/status/1230161787430899712

Tyson N. d. [@neiltyson]. (2020, February 8). Internet search engines have a way of affirming your hypothesis, no matter what you have hypothesized [Tweet] Twitter. https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1226279257049051141


Instagram Post

Start with the person or organization's real name, then put their Instagram handle in brackets. Use the date the message was posted. For the Title position, provide the content of the post up to the first 20 words and include a content description in brackets. Credit Instagram as the site name, and end with the URL of the post.

Example

Holland, T. [tomholland2013]. (2019, August 22). We did it Mr. Stark! [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1fUPgblShf/