Published on
December 17, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
APA Style doesn’t provide a specific citation format for PDFs. Instead, you’ll have to determine what kind of source the PDF is (e.g., a book, a journal article) and cite it in the appropriate format.
If you’re not sure what type of source you’re dealing with, look for clues in the PDF. For example, you might find the name of the larger publication the PDF comes from, which you can then look up to see what kind of source it is. If you received the PDF from an instructor, you can always ask them to clarify how to cite it.
This article explains the formats for several source types you might encounter in PDF form below.
TipOur free APA Citation Generator can help you quickly and easily create citations for different source types.
Published on
December 17, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
January 17, 2024.
When referring to the content of a survey you conducted yourself in APA Style, you don’t need a formal citation or reference entry. When citing someone else’s survey data, follow the format of the source type it appears in.
TipScribbr’s free APA Citation Generator can help you create accurate citations for different source types.
Published on
December 16, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 4, 2023.
Brochures and pamphlets fall under “gray literature” in APA Style, meaning they’re cited in a similar format to reports.
List the author (usually an organization rather than an individual), the year of publication, the title in italics, “Brochure” (or “Pamphlet”) in square brackets, and the name of the publisher. Omit the publisher name if it was already listed as author.
Published on
December 16, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
The format for citing someone else’s dissertation or thesis in APA Style depends on whether the thesis is available from a database, published somewhere else (e.g. on a university archive or personal website), or unpublished (only available in print form directly from the author or university).
To cite a dissertation or thesis from a database, use the following format. In the square brackets, specify the type of dissertation or thesis and the university. As with other database sources, no URL or DOI is included.
APA format
Author last name, Initials. (Year). Dissertation title (Publication No. Number) [Type of dissertation/thesis, University Name]. Database Name.
Ford, L. (2015). The use of experiential acceptance in psychotherapy with emerging adults (Publication No. 3731118) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Published on
December 10, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
To cite a press release in APA Style, list the organization responsible, the date of publication, the title in italics, “Press release” in square brackets, and the URL.
You can use Scribbr’s free APA Citation Generator to help create accurate citations quickly.
American Psychological Association. (2020, November 17). Psychologists report large increase in demand for anxiety, depression treatment [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/11/anxiety-depression-treatment
Published on
December 10, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
How you cite a speech in APA Style depends on the format in which you heard it.
For an audio recording of a speech found online, list the speaker, the date when the speech took place, the title in italics, “Speech audio recording” in square brackets, the website, and the URL. You can use a timestamp to specify a location in the in-text citation.
Kennedy, J. F. (1961, January 20). Presidential inaugural address [Speech audio recording]. American Rhetoric. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm
The formats for citing a paper presentation from a conference and for citing speeches that don’t fit any of these categories are shown below. The formats for citing a TED Talk or a speech uploaded to YouTube are explained elsewhere.
Published on
December 10, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
To cite an episode of a TV show in APA Style, list the writer(s) and director(s) as authors, the date when the episode aired, the name of the episode, the season and episode number, “TV series episode” in square brackets, the executive producers of the whole series, the title of the series, and the production company or companies.
Writer last name, Initials. (Writer), & Director last name, Initials. (Director). (Year, Month Day). Episode name (Season Number, Episode Number) [TV series episode]. In Executive producer initials. Last name (Executive Producer), Series name. Production Company.
Kogen, J. (Writer), Wolodarsky, W. (Writer), & Kirkland, M. (Director). (1993, March 11). Last exit to Springfield (Season 4, Episode 17) [TV series episode]. In J. L. Brooks, M. Groening, A. Jean, M. Reiss, S. Simon (Executive Producers), The Simpsons. Gracie Films; Twentieth Century Fox Film Productions.
Published on
December 9, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 27, 2023.
To cite a podcast episode in APA Style, list the host as author, followed by the label “(Host),” the date, the episode title and number, the description “[Audio podcast episode],” the name of the podcast, the production company, and a URL if available.
If you listened through an app and don’t know the URL, omit it. If episodes are not numbered, this element can also be omitted. A timestamp can be used in an in-text citation to highlight a specific moment from the episode when quoting.
You can also use our free APA Citation Generator to cite a podcast episode automatically.
APA format
Host last name, Initials. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. Episode number) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast name. Production Company. URL
Vogt, P. J., & Goldman, A. (Hosts). (2016, May 12). On the inside (No. 64) [Audio podcast episode]. In Reply all. Gimlet. https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/brho4v/64-on-the-inside
Published on
December 9, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
December 1, 2023.
To cite the Bible in 7th editionAPA Style, use the general book citation format, omitting the author element and listing the specific version used (not just “The Bible”) as the title. Include a URL if you accessed an online version.
To cite a specific passage from the Bible, include an abbreviated book title followed by a chapter and verse number in the in-text citation.
Published on
December 7, 2020
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
March 5, 2024.
To cite a PowerPoint or other slide-based presentation in MLA style, the format depends on how you viewed the presentation.
If the slides are available to view online, the format is similar to that for a website: provide the author and title of the presentation, the name of the site in italics, the date it was posted, and the URL.
Use a slide number to indicate the location of the relevant information in in-text citations.
You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to help create MLA citations with ease.
MLA format
Author last name, First name. “Presentation Title.” Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.
