Citing and Documenting Social
Media and E-Sources
Documenting a Tweet and Facebook Update—APA
Reference List Components
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User the author’s name as it appears
Only the year and day is needed.
For tweets, use the entire post in the title position. For long Facebook updates use a shortened version of the post in
the title position.
Include the type of post inside brackets [].
Provide the URL to the post being citing
Sample Tweet:
Reference List Example:
Bill Gates. (2011a, Feb. 28). It’s crazy how little the US spends on energy R&D. Increased funding is needed to accelerate
progress. @The AEIC @ARPAE b-gat.es/zQITd2 [Twitter post]. Retrieved from
http://twitter.com/#!/BillGates/status/174645176550178819
Sample Facebook Update:
Reference List Example:
Bill Gates. (2011b, Feb. 28). In DC for the ARPA-E conference [Facebook update]. Retrieved from
http://www.facebook.com/BillGates/posts/263419150401068
Information obtained from www.mla.org and http://blog.apastyle.org. Both are official websites for MLA and APA format and documentation.
Updated: 5-29-12-JM
Citing and Documenting Social
Media and E-Sources
Documenting Specific Information on Facebook (not updates)
Facebook pages dedicated to corporations, celebrities, films, etc. can be useful for obtaining information. Here are two
ways to document these sources on the Reference List.
Username or Group Name. (n.d.). In Facebook [Page description]. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from
http://www.facebook.com/specificpageURL
Or
*Username or Group Name. (ca. Year). In Facebook [Page description]. Retrieved Month Day, Year from
http://www.facebook.com/specificpageURL
*If you are unsure about the date but have a reasonable assumption of it, include the date in brackets with “ca.” before it.
Refer to page 214 of the APA Publication Manual.
Example:
Cormac McCarthy. (ca. 2010). In Facebook [Author’s page]. Retrieved March 8, 2012, from
http://www.facebook.com/CormacMcCarthyAuthor/info
Twitter and Facebook Updates: In-Text Citations
APA recommends using parenthetical citations when referencing tweets and Facebook updates within the body of an
essay.
Example:
Bill Gates (2011a) strongly encourages increased funding for energy research in the United States. He also believes
“public-private partnerships” between “scientific, business, and political leaders” are “essential for the US to play a
leadership role in the world’s energy future” (Bill Gates, 2011b).
If the author uses a nickname for his/her Twitter or Facebook account, APA provides two possible solutions.
1. Mention the author’s real name in the text of the essay and establish the link between the real name and nickname.
Provide a parenthetical citation to the tweet or status update following the above format.
2. Provide the real name of the author in the reference in typical author format (Last Name, First Initial.). Following
this can be the nickname in brackets. Within the text, just the last name and year would be provided.
Information obtained from www.mla.org and http://blog.apastyle.org. Both are official websites for MLA and APA format and documentation.
Updated: 5-29-12-JM
Citing and Documenting Social
Media and E-Sources
Documenting a Tweet and Facebook Update—MLA
Works Cited Page Components:
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Use typical author format (Last Name, First Name)
Include the author’s nickname/handle in parentheses if known and if it differs from the real name
Include the entire tweet in quotation marks without changing capitalization
Ensure the date and time and medium of publication are included.
Sample Tweet:
Works Cited Page Example:
Colbert, Stephen (StephenAtHome). “Tonight, my guest is legendary tenor Placido Domingo. I think it's safe to say our
interview will end on a high note.” 23 Feb. 2012, 9:23 p.m. Tweet.
Facebook Update Works Cited Entry:
To document Facebook status updates, MLA recommends following the guidelines for documenting web publications
(Section 5.6.2 in the MLA Handbook).
Works Cited Page Example:
Gates, Bill. “In DC for the ARPA-E conference.” Facebook. N.p. 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.
Twitter and Facebook Updates: In-Text Citations
When referring to a tweet or status update within the text, it is cited in its entirety (refer to section 6.4.1 of the MLA
Handbook, 7th ed.).
Example:
Bill Gates states, “public-private partnerships” between “scientific, business, and political leaders” are “essential for the
US to play a leadership role in the world’s energy future.”
Information obtained from www.mla.org and http://blog.apastyle.org. Both are official websites for MLA and APA format and documentation.
Updated: 5-29-12-JM
Citing and Documenting Social
Media and E-Sources
Documenting an E-book—APA
Whole E-book Reference List Entry:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book [E-reader version, if applicable]. Retrieved from http://xxxxx
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book [E-reader version, if applicable]. doi:xxxxx
Example:
Nietzsche, F. (2009). Thus spake Zarathustra. [Nook file]. (C. Martin, Trans). Retrieved from
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thus-spoke-zarathustra-friedrich-nietzsche/1100318619
Documenting an E-book—MLA
The official Modern Language Association website states the following:
A work formatted for reading on an electronic device like Kindle, Nook, and iPad is covered by [section] 5.7.18.
Begin the entry in the works-cited list like the entry for a comparable printed work and end it with a designation
of the medium of publication. The medium is the type of electronic file, such as Kindle file, Nook file, EPUB file,
or PDF file. If you cannot identify the file type, use Digital file. For example:
Rowley, Hazel. Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage. New York: Farrar, 2010. Kindle file.
Information obtained from www.mla.org and http://blog.apastyle.org. Both are official websites for MLA and APA format and documentation.
Updated: 5-29-12-JM