How to Reference Electronic Sources in APA Format

There are a number of special style concerns for citing electronic sources in APA format. Electronic sources such as online periodicals, ebooks, websites, and message boards all have unique formatting requirements, not to mention YouTube videos, podcasts, Facebook posts, and tweets.

Always keep track of the electronic sources you refer to as you are researching a topic and collecting references. It is important to note the exact URL link or web address for any electronic source you use. This article will show examples of citations from a variety of electronic sources.

Things to Know Before You Start

A few mentionables before we dive in:

Type of Source:

• Review the source carefully to determine if it is an online news article, journal article, government report, blog post, etc. The format of the citation is slightly different in each case.

Date of Publication:

• Always look for the date of the electronic publication. Sometimes it is near the top of the webpage, other times it is at the very bottom.
• You may have to use the date that it was last updated or a copyright date.
• Do not use a "last reviewed" date because there may not have been any changes or updates.
• If there is no date, then put "n.d." where you would have put the date in the citation.

Retrieval Date:

• The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual no longer requires a "Retrieved [date], from URL" statement before DOIs and URLs.
• A special exception is when you are using a source that is not archived and is subject to updates over time (for example, Wikipedia, online dictionaries, encyclopedias), or when using n.d. for an open-date webpage. In these cases, you would want to include the date you retrieved the article like this "Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.psychology.site.URL..."

DOI or URL:

• When available, include the digital object identifier (DOI) hyperlink at the end of the citation as this will be the most stable, long-lasting link.
• If there is no DOI, use the URL instead. However, do not include the URL if the article is from a database, as it is subject to change leaving you with a dead link.
• Do not place a period at the end of the hyperlink.

Proper APA Format for Electronic Sources

The following examples can help you prepare your electronic references in proper APA format.

Online Periodicals and Journal Articles

Online periodicals and journal articles should be cited exactly like printed journal articles, with the addition of the DOI link (if there is one) at the end of the citation. If there is no DOI then include the URL. The basic structure is as follows:

For example:

• Jenet, B. L. (2006). A meta-analysis on online social behavior. Journal of Internet Psychology, 4(2), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.32777/jip.1999.07.07.49
  

Articles Retrieved From a Database

Articles that are retrieved from online databases (such as PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus) are formatted similarly to an online or printed journal with one exception. If there is a DOI number, include it at the end of the citation; however, if there is no DOI, then do not include the URL in its place. According to the APA Publication Manual, it is not necessary to include the database information or the URL in the citation since the URL information may change over time creating a dead link.

Example from PubMed with DOI:

• Henriques, J. B., & Davidson, R. J. (1991). Left frontal hypoactivation in depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(4), 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.100.4.535

Example from PubMed without DOI, URL not included:

• Schaffer, C. E., Davidson, R. J., & Saron, C. (1983). Frontal and parietal electroencephalogram asymmetry in depressed and nondepressed subjects. Biological Psychiatry, 18(7), 753–762.
  

Website or webpage

When you search the web from your internet browser, you may decide to use a website or webpage as one of your sources of information. Examples include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic, and so on. Whether it is a university, a foundation, or a government organization, you will use the following format:

For example:

• Cherry, K. (2023, November 8). Support and criticism of Piaget's stage theory. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/support-and-criticism-of-piagets-stage-theory-2795460
• National Alliance for Mental Health. (n.d.). Mental health in schools. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Policy-Priorities/Improving-Health/Mental-Health-in-Schools
• National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d). Depression. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

News

There are a number of news websites such as BBC, Huffpost, NPR, Reuters, Guardian, and Vox. These news organizations that have their articles published on the internet (and not in print), will be referenced in the same format as other websites as mentioned above.

For example:

• Hales, L. (2023, October 28). ‘Why would you find me attractive?’: The body disorder that needs more attention. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/29/why-would-you-find-me-attractive-the-body-disorder-that-needs-more-attention

However, some news publications can be found online and in print, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Newsweek Magazine. In these cases, the name of the publishing organization is in italics instead of the title of the article.

For example:

• Hayasaki, E. (2014, November 19). The end to eyewitness testimonies. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/2014/11/28/end-eyewitness-testimonies-285414.html
  

Online Guides, Government Reports, Fact Sheets

Citations for business reports, technical guides, and government reports that are published on the web require that you place the report number or publication number in parentheses after the title of the report. The basic format is as follows.

For example:

• U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2023, July 11). COVID-19: GAO recommendations can help federal agencies better prepare for future public health emergencies (GAO-23-106554). https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106554
  

Electronic Version of a Book

In this modern age, books are being published electronically in various formats such as ebooks, audiobooks, kindle books, and pdf versions you can download. You can "check out" ebooks from the library and you may be using free online college textbooks from open educational resources (OER).

Nevertheless, your citation will have the same nuances as a typical printed book reference except that you include the DOI or URL at the end of the citation. The basic structure is as follows:

Exception to the Rule: You only have to indicate that it is an electronic book if the text of the online book is different from the print version of the book (edited, abridged, etc). In that case, after the title of the book, indicate in brackets if it is a special format such as a Kindle, an audiobook, or another type of ebook format. The basic structure is as follows:

For example:

• Freud, S. (2016). Totem and taboo: Resemblances between the psychic lives of savages and neurotics. [Kindle Edition]. HardPress. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37065.kindle.images

Online Forums, Discussion Lists, Blogs, or Newsgroups

Messages posted by users on forums, blogs, discussion lists, and newsgroups can be great sources of information, and the APA format for these citations has some unique features to take note of.

• Use the author's real name followed by their screen name in brackets. If you do not have their real name, list their screen name without brackets.
• Provide the title of the post, up to the first 20 words in italics and sentence case.
• If it is the original post, indicate the type of post in brackets after the title [Blog Post], [Online forum post],
• If it is a comment to a post, indicate that it is a comment along with the title of the post. It will look something like this [Comment on the discussion forum post I'm a forensic psychologist specializing in cults. Ask me anything."].
• Provide the name of the online hosting platform for the post (examples: Reddit, Mind Hacks).
• Provide the exact URL for the post. If it is a comment to a post, provide the exact URL for the comment rather than the link to the whole post.

For example:

• Rutledge, P. (2023, November 2). 7 ways to help kids cope with war images on social media [Blog post]. The Media Psychology Blog. https://www.pamelarutledge.com/blog-3/
• Myer, J.L. [817_Judy]. (2007, January 12). Why do people keep joining cults? I just lost another family member to a charismatic cult leader [Comment on the cult discussion forum post I'm a forensic psychologist specializing in cults. Ask me anything."]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6whpqs/judy_is_here/lea82mk/

Tweets, Instagrams, TikTok Posts

Similar to blogs and forums, there are a number of ways to communicate through social media including Twitter, FaceBook, TikTok, and so on. If it is a general post and not a personal communication, you will list it as a source in your references. Here are a few things to know:

• Use the author's real name if it is available followed by their handle [@username] in brackets.
• Provide the exact date of the post.
• The title includes up to the first 20 words of the post, in italics and sentence case.
• If the tweet includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].
• Identify if it is a Tweet, Instagram, or other form of social media post in brackets [Tweet].
• Provide the name of the hosting platform (Example: TikTok).
• Provide the exact URL for the post or comment.

For example:

• LePera, N. [@theholisticpsyc]. (2023, November 12). Emotionally immature parents have very primitive and child-like responses to the world around them. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/Theholisticpsyc/status/1723698976246165732

More Tips for Citing Electronic Sources

Interviews and emails should not be included on your References page, although they should be cited in the text as personal communication.

The APA also provides information on the preferred spelling of several electronic terms, including the following:

• email (no longer hyphenated)
• ejournal, ereader, ebook (all lowercase, no hyphens)
• database
• internet (no longer capitalized)
• FTP
• Wi-Fi
• online
• the web, webpage, website
• username
• smartphone
• emoji, emojis (plural)

A Word From Verywell

Getting the hang of APA format can sometimes be a struggle, but it is well worth the investment. Electronic sources require special consideration as the format of your references may be different depending on where you found the information.

Utilize this guide as a start, but always be sure to check your work against the guidelines issued in the most current edition of the APA Publication Manual.