When writing a research paper, the videos available on YouTube can be a great resource. However, how to quote it? Just below the video window, you can see the title of the video, the date it was uploaded, and below that, the name of the user or institution that uploaded the video. In general, these are the information needed for citation entry. However, the specific format for citations and full bibliography entries will differ, depending on the citation style used: Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using the MLA Citation Style
Step 1. Begin the bibliography or reference entry with the name of the video creator
Type the last name of the video creator first, insert a comma, and continue with the first name. Place a period after the name. For the more popular YouTube video creators, you can do an internet search by their username and find out their real names. If you can't find his real name, just use his YouTube username.
For example: Fong, Rachel
Step 2. Put the title of the video in quotes
Type in the full title of the video and capitalize the first letter of the first word and every noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, and verb (title case format). Insert a period at the end of the title, inside final quotation marks.
- For example: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!"
- Keep in mind that if the video title contains special punctuation, as in the example, you will need to use that punctuation instead of a period.
Step 3. State the name of the website and video uploader
Type "YouTube" in italics, followed by a comma. After that, type in the phrase " uploaded by " (or "uploaded by" in Indonesian), followed by the username of the account that displayed the video. Use regular spacing and capitalization. Insert a comma after the username.
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For example: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World,
Examples in Indonesian: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World,
Step 4. Enter the upload date and URL of the video
Type the date of upload of the video in date-month-year format, and shorten the names of months that have more than 4 letters to 3 letters. Place a comma after the date, then copy and paste the video URL. Do not include the "https:" element of the URL. Add a period at the end of the URL.
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For example: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World, 26 Sep. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDI5ti2ZvBs.
Examples in Indonesian: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World, 26 Sep. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDI5ti2ZvBs
Step 5. End the entry with the video access date if required
In MLA style, web content (including YouTube videos) access dates are optional. However, your professor or teacher may require you to include it. If so, type in the word " Accessed " (or the phrase "Accessed at" for Indonesian), followed by the video access date in date-month-year format. Do not forget to abbreviate all month names that have more than 4 letters. Place a dot at the end of the access date.
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For example: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World, 26 Sep. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDI5ti2ZvBs. Accessed 30 July 2020.
Examples in Indonesian: Fong, Rachel. "How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Pops!" YouTube, uploaded by Kawaii Sweet World, 26 Sep. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDI5ti2ZvBs. Retrieved 30 July 2020
Step 6. Include the video maker's last name and scene timestamp for the in-text quote
For citations in MLA standard text, insert a parenthesis at the end of the sentence, before the period. In parentheses, include the video creator's last name (or username) and the timestamp of the scene or portion of the video that contains the information you quoted.
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For example, you might write: Pumpkin spice latte cake pops use homemade pumpkin bread as the base (Fong 1:09).
Example in Indonesian: Pumpkin spice latte lollipop using homemade pumpkin bread as the base (Fong 1:09)
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If you mention the name of the video maker in a sentence, you only need to include the timestamps in parentheses. For example, you might write: From the outset, Fong admits that pumpkin spice lattes are "kind of a polarizing thing" (0:24).
Example in Indonesian: From the start, Fong suggested that the pumpkin spice latte was a “different” dish
Method 2 of 3: Using ANY Citation Style
Step 1. Type the name of the video creator or username first in the bibliography/reference entry
If you know or can find the video creator's first and last name, type the last name first, insert a comma, and continue with the initials of the first name. Insert a period after the initials of the first name. If you can't find his real name, just enter his YouTube account username and insert a period after it.
- For example: Mishler, A.
- In the example, even if the full name of the video creator is not mentioned on their YouTube page/profile, you can search the internet for them. However, if you can't find it, you can still use its username. Copy the username (including the capitalization and spacing of names), as they appear on YouTube. In this example, the username used is "Yoga With Adriene."
Step 2. Enter the upload date of the video
Type the date in parentheses. State the year first, insert a comma, and add the month and date. Do not shorten the name of the month. Place a period at the end, outside the closing parenthesis.
For example: Mishler, A. (2017, November 5)
Step 3. State the title and format of the video
Type the title of the video in italic text. Use only capital letters in the first letter of the first word, as well as your own name in the title (sentence case format). After the title, state the source format in square brackets. Since you are citing a video from YouTube, the source format is "Video". Insert a period outside the closing parenthesis.
For example: Mishler, A. (2017, November 5). Yoga morning fresh [Video]
Step 4. End the entry with the site name and video URL
Type in "YouTube," and capitalize and space the name as it appears on the site. Insert a comma after the site name, then copy and paste the video URL. Don't add a period to the end of the URL.
For example: Mishler, A. (2017, November 5). Yoga morning fresh [Video]. YouTube,
Step 5. Mention the name of the video maker and the year the video was uploaded in the in-text quote
Whenever you mention the content of the video in a sentence/text, add parentheses at the end of the sentence. In parentheses, type the video creator's last name (or username), insert a comma, and include the year the video was uploaded. This parenthesis quote is added before the closing punctuation mark (period).
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For example, you could write: Morning yoga enables you to start the day fresh with a clear mind (Mishler, 2017).
Example in Indonesian: Yoga in the morning allows you to start a new day with a clear mind (Mishler, 2017)
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If you mention the name of the video creator in a sentence, place parentheses containing the year the video was uploaded, right after the name. For example, you might write: Mishler (2017) emphasizes adjusting poses so that they feel right for you.
Example in Indonesian: Mishler (2017) emphasizes the importance of adjusting poses to feel comfortable when done
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If you're quoting the source's sentences/utterances directly from the video, include timestamps instead of the page numbers you would normally use to cite print sources. For example, you could write: Yoga practitioners are encouraged to find the shape naturally and move "in a way that feels good" (Mishler, 2017, 3:49).
Example in Indonesian: Yoga practitioners are encouraged to seek natural form and move “comfortably” (Mishler, 2017, 3:49)
Method 3 of 3: Using the Chicago Quote Style
Step 1. Start the bibliography entry with the name of the video creator
If the video creator's real name is available or you can find one, type the last name first, insert a comma, and add the first name. Insert a period at the end of the name. If the video creator's real name is not available, prefix the entry with his/her username, according to the name shown on his/her YouTube page/profile.
- If there are two video creators, type " and " or "and" after the first creator's name, then state the second creator's name in first-name-last name format.
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For example: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang.
Examples in Indonesian: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang
Step 2. Type in the title of the video and enclose it with quotes
Enter a video title and use the title case format (capitalize the first letter of the first word, and any nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs). Insert a period at the end of the title, before the closing quotation marks.
- For example: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin."
- Examples in Indonesian: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin."
Step 3. Include YouTube profile username as publisher name if you don't use it as video creator name
If you don't know the video creator's real name and are using his username, you don't need to re-enter the username in the publisher's name position. However, if you manage to find the original name of the video creator, state the YouTube profile username as the publisher name. Use standard/conventional spacing and capitalization. Place a period at the end of the username.
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For example: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin.
Examples in Indonesian: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin
Step 4. Enter the upload date of the video
Type in the phrase " Posted on " (or "Uploaded on" in Indonesian), followed by the date the video was uploaded in month-date-year format. Do not shorten the name of the month. Insert a period at the end of the date.
- For example: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin. Posted on December 8, 2018.
- Examples in Indonesian: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin. Uploaded on December 8, 2018.
Step 5. End the entry with the media type, video duration, and URL
Since you're citing a video from YouTube, use the phrase " YouTube video " or "YouTube video" as the video type. Insert a comma, then include the full length of the video. Add a period at the end of the duration, then state the full URL of the video. Place a period at the end of the URL.
- For example: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin. Posted on December 8, 2018. YouTube video, 10:31.
Examples in Indonesian: Chen, Eddie and Brett Yang. "Emotional Sounds on the Violin." Two Set Violin. Uploaded on December 8, 2018. YouTube video, 10:31 am
Step 6. Use commas instead of periods for complete footnotes
Include the same information in the first footnote, as in the bibliographic entry. However, use commas instead of periods to separate each element of information. Type in the video maker's real name in first-name-last-name format, just as you would write it in regular sentences. Place a period at the end of the footnote.
- For example: Eddie Chen and Brett Yang, "Emotional Sounds on the Violin," TwoSet Violin, posted on December 8, 2018, YouTube video, 10:31,
Example in Indonesian: Eddie Chen and Brett Yang, "Emotional Sounds on the Violin," TwoSet Violin, uploaded December 8, 2018, YouTube video, 10:31 am, https://www.youtube.com/embed/ u7fkd7RVLnQ
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After the first footnote, you only need to mention the name of the video creator and the title of the video in the next footnote. For example: Eddie Chen and Brett Yang, "Emotional Sounds on the Violin."
Example in Indonesian: Eddie Chen and Brett Yang, "Emotional Sounds on the Violin."
- If you are quoting the source's sentences/utterances directly from the video, put a time marker for the beginning of the scene/part of the video that contains the pertinent information at the end of the footnote.
Tips
- Not all videos on YouTube display the full name of the author/creator. However, you can usually find this information through a quick internet search based on the username of the profile/YouTube account in question.
- You may not have enough information to fill in all the elements of a complete bibliography/reference entry. However, as much as possible include as much information as is available. Just in case, it's better to add existing or known information than to leave it blank.
- This article uses the eighth edition (8th edition, 2016), APA seventh edition (7th edition, 2019), and Chicago seventeenth edition (17th edition, 2017). Ask the lecturer/teacher which edition to use to make sure your citation entries are formatted properly.
Warning
- As much as possible, use the official YouTube channel of the video maker when citing information.
- Don't use YouTube as a source for content that may violate copyright laws, such as unauthorized/licensed video clips from certain movies or recordings.
