In-Text Citation or References List?
Handouts distributed in class and presentation slides such as Powerpoint should be cited both in-text and on the References list.
Your own notes from lectures are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do NOT get an entry on the References list.
Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.
A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.
Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year, Month Day). Title of presentation: Subtitle if any [File format]. Publisher. URL
Note: When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. PowerPoint slides, Word document).
| Reference List Example |
Graham, J. (2013, June 6). Introduction: Jean Watson [PowerPoint presentation]. https://my.senecacollege.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp |
| In-Text Paraphrase |
(Instructor's Last Name, Year) (Graham, 2013) |
| In-Text Quote |
(Instructor's Last Name, Year, slide number) (Graham, 2013, slide 6) Note: APA does not provide specific rules for direct quoting of PowerPoint slides. Seneca Libraries recommends giving the slide number. |
Note: Your own notes from a lecture are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the References list. Put the citation right after a quote or paraphrased content from the class lecture.
(First Initial of Faculty Who Gave Lecture. Second Initial if known. Last Name, personal communication, Month Day, Year lecture took place)
| Example |
"Infections are often contracted while patients are recovering in the hospital" (J. D. Black, personal communication, May 30, 2012) |
| Example |
Note: If the name of the instructor is mentioned in the sentence leading into the quote or paraphrased content, you do not need to repeat it in the in-text citation. Professor J.D. Black explained that "infections are often contracted while patients are recovering in the hospital" (personal communication, May 30, 2012). |
Have a question about citing PowerPoint or class notes that isn't answered on this page? Check out this webpage, created by an authority on APA style, for more detailed information:
