When creating a reference list in the American Psychological Association (APA) style of citation, you aim to direct the reader to the sources used in writing the text. However, this may be difficult to do if the source you are citing is a PowerPoint presentation. If the presentation is available online, you can cite it just as you would a web page. However, live PowerPoint presentations need to be cited as "personal communications."
Step
Method 1 of 2: Citing Presentations Uploaded to the Internet
Step 1. Begin the reference list entry with the author's name
Type the author's last name first, followed by a comma. Insert a space, then enter the initials of the author's first and middle name and follow each initial with a period. If the author's middle name is not available, simply use the initials of his first name.
For example: Sunshine, S. J
Step 2. Add the year the presentation was published
After the initials of the author's name, insert a space, then include the year the presentation was published (in parentheses). Place a period after the closing parenthesis.
For example: Sunshine, S. J. (2018)
Step 3. Add a presentation title and a description of the format
Enter a space after the period at the end of the year of publication, and then type a title for the presentation. Use a sentence-case format (capital letters as the first letter of the first word and your own name in the title). After the title, insert a space and enclose the phrase " PowerPoint slides " or " PowerPoint presentation " in square brackets. Add a period after the closing parenthesis.
- For example: Sunshine, S. J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint slides].
- For Indonesian: Sunshine, S. J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint presentation].
Step 4. Enter the URL of the source that contains the presentation
End the reference list entry by typing the phrase " Retrieved from ", followed by the direct URL to the presentation. Do not insert a period at the end of the URL.
- For example: Sunshine, S. J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
- For Indonesian: Sunshine, S. J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint presentation]. Accessed from
Reference List Entry Format in APA Citation Style
Name, N. N. (Year). Presentation title [PowerPoint slides/PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved from URL
Step 5. Use the author's name and year of publication for in-text citations
Whenever you paraphrase information from a PowerPoint presentation in writing, include an in-text citation at the end of the sentence. This citation must state the author's last name, followed by a comma and the year the presentation was published.
For example: Solar power has been experimentally used to drive vehicle engines (Sunshine, 2018)
Step 6. State the page number of the slide for a direct quote from the presentation
When you include direct citations from sources in your article, the APA style of citation requires you to state the page number that contains the quote or information. Because PowerPoint presentations don't have page numbers, you can use page numbers for in-text citations (after the author's name and year of publication). Separate each element with a comma.
- For example: If motor vehicles could be retrofitted to run on solar power, America could "end its dependence on fossil fuels within 10 years" (Sunshine, 2018, slide 11).
- For English: If vehicle engines could be modified to run on solar power, the United States could “end its dependence on fossil fuels in 10 years” (Sunshine, 2018, p. 11).
Method 2 of 2: Citing Live Presentations
Step 1. Don't add the presentation directly to the reference list
The purpose of adding a reference list to the APA style of citation is to provide a trusted “way” for readers to find the source of the information you are using. If the presentation isn't uploaded anywhere, of course, readers won't be able to access it. Therefore, you should not include PowerPoint presentation entries that were witnessed in person in the reference list.
The teacher or professor may ask you to include entries in the reference list. Therefore, it's a good idea to ask early and follow the instructions given
Step 2. Begin the in-text citation with the presenter's name
Use the presenter's first initial (and middle initial if applicable), followed by their last name. Place a comma after the presenter name before moving on to the next quote element.
For example: (L. Lovegood,
Step 3. Mention the presentation as a personal communication
Insert a space after the comma at the end of the presenter's name, then type the phrase “personal communication” or “personal communication”. Continue the phrase with a comma. This phrase informs readers familiar with the APA style of citation that there is no reference list entry for the source in question.
- For example: (L. Lovegood, personal communication,
- For Indonesian: (L. Lovegood, personal communication,
Step 4. Enter the presentation date accurately
Insert a space after the comma at the end of the phrase " personal communication " or " personal communication ", then type the date the presentation will be presented. Use the month-date-year format (or month-year-date for Indonesian) and type in the full month name. Add a closing parenthesis, then place a period at the end of the closing parenthesis.
- For example: (L. Lovegood, personal communication, March 22, 2019).
- For Indonesian: (L. Lovegood, personal communication, 22 March 2019).
Format Quotes in Live Presentation Text in APA Citation Style
(N. N. Name, personal communication, Month Date, Year).
For Indonesian: (N. N. Name, personal communication, Date Month Year).
