How to Cite a PowerPoint in APA

Last Updated: December 15, 2022 References

When creating a reference list in American Psychological Association (APA) style, the point is to direct your readers to the source. This may be difficult if the source you want to cite is a PowerPoint presentation. if the presentation appears online, you can cite it like you would any other webpage. However, a live PowerPoint presentation should be cited as a "personal communication."^{[1]
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Research source}

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Citing a Presentation Posted Online

1
Start your reference list entry with the author's name. Type the author's last name first, followed by a comma. Type a space, then include the author's first and middle initials, each followed by a period. If the author's middle initial isn't available, simply use their first initial.^{[2]
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- Example: Sunshine, S.J.
2
Add the year the slide presentation was published. After the author's initials, type a space, then include the year the presentation was published in parentheses. Place a period after the closing parentheses.^{[3]
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- Example: Sunshine, S.J. (2018).
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3
Provide the title of the presentation and a description of the format. Type a space after the period following the year of publication, then type the title of the presentation. Use sentence-case, capitalizing only the first word of the title and any proper nouns. After the title, type a space and include the words "PowerPoint slides" in square brackets. Place a period after the closing brackets.^{[4]
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Research source}
- Example: Sunshine, S.J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint slides].
4
Include the URL where the presentation can be retrieved. Close your reference list citation by typing the words "Retrieved from" followed by a direct URL for the presentation. Do not include a period at the end of the URL.^{[5]
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Research source}
- Example: Sunshine, S.J. (2018). Revolutionary uses of solar energy [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.sunnypower.com/revolution
APA Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from URL.
5
Use the author's name and year of publication for in-text citations. Whenever you paraphrase information from the PowerPoint presentation in your paper, include a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence that includes the last name of the author, followed by a comma and the year the presentation was published.^{[6]
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Research source}
- Example: Solar energy has been experimentally used to power motor vehicles (Sunshine, 2018).
6
Provide the slide number for direct quotes from the presentation. When you include a direct quote from a source in your paper, APA style requires you to provide the page number where that quote appears. Since PowerPoint presentations don't have page numbers, you would instead include a slide number in your parenthetical citation, after the author's name and the year of publication. Separate each of these elements with commas.^{[7]
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- 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).

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Citing a Live Presentation

1
Leave a live presentation out of your reference list. The point of a reference list, in APA style, is to provide a reliable path for your readers to find the source you used. If the presentation isn't posted anywhere, there is no way for your readers to access it. For this reason, you wouldn't include an entry for a PowerPoint presentation you saw live in your reference list.^{[8]
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- Your instructor or advisor may want you to include an entry in your reference list. It's a good idea to ask in advance and follow their instructions.
2
Start your in-text citation with the name of the presenter. Use the first initial of the presenter (and middle initial, if available) followed by their last name. Place a comma after the presenter's name before moving on to the next element.^{[9]
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- Example: (L. Lovegood,
3
Identify the presentation as a personal communication. Type a space after the comma following the name of the presenter, then type the words "personal communication." Follow those words with a comma. These words signal to readers familiar with APA style that there will not be a reference list entry for the source.^{[10]
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Research source}
- Example: (L. Lovegood, personal communication,
4
Include a precise date when the presentation was given. Type a space after the comma following "personal communication," then type the date the presentation was given. Use month-day-year format, spelling out the month in full. Close your parentheses, then place a period outside the parentheses.^{[11]
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- Example:(L. Lovegood, personal communication, March 22, 2019).
APA Live Presentation In-Text Format

(A. A. Author, personal communication, Month Day, Year).