Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

As more information is introduced via the Web, students and instructors must come to expect an increase in the number of online citations included in research papers. YouTube videos are among the content one should learn to handle. Continue reading for specific instructions and examples concerning how to cite a YouTube video in MLA format.

Steps

In-Text Citation

  1. Type a portion of the title in parentheses.[1] Follow quoted, paraphrased, or summarized information included in the text with the video's full title or a shortened version of the title. Enclose the title in parentheses, and place any punctuation marks on the outside of the parentheses.
    • Maru is a famous cat known for a variety of antics (“Maru Greatest Hits”).
  2. Introduce the title in the sentence. Instead of including the title inside parentheses, you can also introduce the video's full title or a shortened form directly in the sentence when you write out the borrowed information. Surround the title in quotation marks.
    • As seen in “Maru Greatest Hits,” Maru is a famous cat known for a variety of antics.
  3. Include the creator's name when applicable. If you know the name of the director or the person otherwise responsible for creating the content of the video, state the last name of that individual. A YouTube username can be used if no real name is provided. The name can either be included in the parentheses or introduced directly within the sentence containing the cited information.
    • The man responsible for holding the three Cleveland women captive has been arrested along with two other suspects (Associated Press, "3 Women").
    • As stated in "3 Women," the man responsible for holding the three Cleveland women captive has been arrested along with two other suspects (Associated Press).
    • According the the Associated Press, the man responsible for holding the three Cleveland women captive has been arrested along with two other suspects ("3 Women").
    • In "3 Women," the Associated Press explains that the man responsible for holding the three Cleveland women captive has been arrested along with two other suspects.

Works Cited Page with Creator Name

  1. Mention the name or username of the creator.[2] Use the real name of the director, editor, or compiler when available. Write it out in LastName, FirstName format. If citing a video from an organization or if the creator's real name is not available, cite the name of the organization or the username associated with that YouTube account. Regardless of the name you use, follow it with a period.
    • Associated Press.
    • Tofield, Simon.
  2. State the full title of the video. Write the title exactly as it is typed online. Never abbreviate it; write the full title out since multiple videos may be abbreviated in similar ways. Type a period after the final word and enclose it all in double quotation marks.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio."
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat."
  3. Name the website. In this case, the name of the website is simply “YouTube.” Italicize the website name and follow it with a period.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio." YouTube.
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat." Youtube.
  4. Name the sponsor/publisher.[3] The sponsor refers to the official legal name of the corporation or entity responsible for the website. In this case, it would be “YouTube.” Do not enclose it in quotation marks or italicize it. Instead of following it with a period, use a comma.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio." YouTube. YouTube,
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat." Youtube. YouTube,
  5. State when the video was created. The date that the video was posted should be written in Day Month Year format. Follow it with a period.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio." YouTube. YouTube, 6 May 2013.
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat." Youtube. YouTube, 12 April 2013.
  6. Mention the publishing medium. For all YouTube videos, the medium should be listed as “Web.” This, too, should be followed with a period.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio." YouTube. YouTube, 6 May 2013. Web.
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat." Youtube. YouTube, 12 April 2013. Web.
  7. Include the date of access. The date of access refers to the first date that you went to that video for the sake of using it as a citation source. List the date in Day Month Year format. Conclude with a period.
    • Associated Press. "3 Women, Missing for Years, Found Alive in Ohio." YouTube. YouTube, 6 May 2013. Web. 7 May 2013.
    • Tofield, Simon. "Screen Grab - Simon's Cat." Youtube. YouTube, 12 April 2013. Web. 7 May 2013.
  8. Type the URL, when requested. The URL is not a standard part of MLA citation style for online videos. Nonetheless, many instructors still request it. If your instructor does request the URL, enclose it in carrot brackets and follow the ending bracket with a period.

Works Cited Page with No Creator Name

  1. Write out the full title of the video. If video footage is reposted by a YouTube user who is not the original creator of the footage, and if the name of the original creator is not listed, the first piece of information is the title of the video. Do not list the name or username of the YouTube channel responsible for reposting the video. Enclose the full title in double quotation marks, and follow the final word of the title with a period.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1."
  2. Indicate the name of the website. For all YouTube videos, the name of the website should simply be “YouTube.” Italicize the word and follow it with another period.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1." YouTube.
  3. State the name of the sponsor. The official, legal name of the corporation that owns YouTube should also be indicated. Type “YouTube,” and follow the name with a comma.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1." YouTube. YouTube,
  4. Include a posting date. Specify the original date that the video was posted on the YouTube channel you used to access it. Arrange the date in Day Month Year format and place another period after the year.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1." YouTube. YouTube, 29 April 2009.
  5. State the publishing medium. For a YouTube video, the publishing medium will always be “Web.” Follow it with yet another period.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1." YouTube. YouTube, 29 April 2009. Web.
  6. Type an access date. The access date is the day, month, and year on which you first accessed the video with the intention of citing it among your research. Write the date in Day Month Year format and conclude with a period.
    • "Maru Greatest Hits V1." YouTube. YouTube, 29 April 2009. Web. 7 May 2013.
  7. Include the URL only when requested. The video URL is not a standard part of MLA format and may be marked as wrong if you include it. Oftentimes, however, an instructor will specifically ask for the URL of any online source to be included, in which case, you should enclose the URL in carrot brackets and conclude the entire thing with a final period.

Works Cited Page when Citing YouTube Directly

  1. State the creator as "YouTube." This applies to any video that was uploaded to the official YouTube channel. Write the name out and follow it with a period.
    • YouTube.
  2. Include the full title of the video. Make sure to include the full title to minimize the odds of citing a duplicate or similar title. Follow the title with a period and enclose it in parentheses.
    • YouTube. "Rewind YouTube Style 2012."
  3. Specify the name of the website. Even though “YouTube” is already listed once as the creator of the video, you must also list it a second time as the publisher. Note, however, that you do not need to list it a third time as an official corporation. Only italicize the name of the website here, and follow it with another period.
    • YouTube. "Rewind YouTube Style 2012." YouTube.
  4. Indicate the date of publication. Specify the date that the video was originally updated in Day Month Year format. Follow the year with a period.
    • YouTube. "Rewind YouTube Style 2012." YouTube. 17 Dec. 2012.
  5. State the publishing medium. The publishing medium for any YouTube video will be “Web.” Type a period after this information.
    • YouTube. "Rewind YouTube Style 2012." YouTube. 17 Dec. 2012. Web.
  6. Include a date of access. Write the day on which you first accessed or viewed the video with the intention of using it as a resource. Type it out in Day Month Year format.
    • YouTube. "Rewind YouTube Style 2012." YouTube. 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 7 May 2013.
  7. Write the URL if directly requested. Official MLA guidelines do not list the URL as vital information, but if your instructor asks for it, include the URL in carrot brackets and follow the end bracket with a concluding period.

Tips

  • Ask your instructor if he or she has a preference regarding the way that YouTube videos are cited. Some instructors prefer students to include the URL of online sources, while many do not. Moreover, since there is no official set of guidelines governing the citation of YouTube videos in MLA format, these details can be considered somewhat subjective.
  • Check the MLA citation guidelines to verify that the above information is accurate and complete. These guidelines change periodically.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://citesource.trincoll.edu/mla/mlavideoweb_002.pdf
  2. ↑ http://valenciacollege.edu/library/documents/youtube.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/MLA/website
  4. ↑ http://elmo.academyart.edu/reference-help/mla_citation_guide.html
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