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Home > Citing Sources > APA Citation Style: Non-Traditional Sources

APA Citation Style:  Non-Traditional Sources  

The following resources are generally considered non-traditional or "miscellaneous" resources in scholarly writing. 

These citations and examples were created using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.), and include the following: (1) a template for the References citation, (2) an example Reference citation, (3) a template for the in-text or parenthetical citation, (4) an example of the in-text or parenthetical citation, and in some cases (5) any exceptions to the rule. 

Non-traditional sources used in an essay or project may not require in-text citation when the source itself is credited in the text of your work.  However, the source should still be included on your References page.

Television Broadcast / Television Series / Episode of a TV Series / Motion Picture
Music Recording / Audio Recording

 


A Television Broadcast

1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First Initial of Authority (Title of Authority). (Year, Month Day of broadcast). Title of Show

[Television broadcast]. Location of broadcasting company: Broadcasting company..

2.  Reference list citation example:

Riker, David (Director). (2005, February 11). The City: La Ciudad [Television broadcast]. Alexandria:

          Public Broadcasting Service.

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of Authority, Year of Broadcast)

4.  In-text citation example:

(Riker, 2005)

5.  Note:  The authority listed in the entry could be the executive producer, producer, or director.  One or both may be included. A citation including both the producer and director would use the format in the following example:

 


A Television Series

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1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First of authority (Title of Authority). (Year of series first season). Title of Series
          [Television series]. Location of broadcasting company: Broadcasting company.

2.  Reference list citation example:

Bright, K.S. (Executive Producer). (1994). Friends [Television series]. New York:

          National Broadcasting Company.

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of Authority, Year of series first season)

4.  In-text citation example:

(Bright, 1994)

5.  Note: See note related to authority name and title under the example for citing A Television Broadcast.  Also, if discussing a specific season of a television program, the authority and date in the citation may change depending on focus.

 


A Single Episode from a Television Series

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1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First Initial of Writer (Writer), & Last Name, First Initial of Director (Director).

          (Year of broadcast). Title of episode [Television series episode]. In First Initial Last

          Name of Producer (Producer), Title of Series. Location of broadcasting company:

Broadcasting company.

2.  Reference list citation example:

Reich, A., Cohen, T. (Writers), & Bright, K.S. (Director). (2003). The one after joey and rachel

          kiss [Television series episode]. In K.S. Bright (Producer), Friends. New York:

          National Broadcasting Company.

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of Writer & Last Name of Director, Year of broadcast)

4.  In-text citation example:

(Reich, Cohen, & Bright, 2003)


A Motion Picture

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1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First Initial of Producer (Producer), & Last Name, First Initial of Director (Director). (Year of

          release). Title of Motion Picture [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Movie studio.

2.  Reference list citation example:

MacDonald, L. (Producer), & Scott, R. (Director). (2000). Gladiator [Motion picture]. United States:

          Dreamworks & Universal Pictures.

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of Producer & Last Name of Director, Year of release)

4.  In-text citation example:

(MacDonald & Scott, 2000)

5.  Note: If a film is released in limited circulation (such as a documentary intended for an education environment), include the distributor's name and complete address in parentheses in place of the Country of origin and Movie studio.  For example:

Light, A. (Producer & Director). (1993). Dialogues with madwomen [Motion picture]. (Available from

          Women Make Movies, Inc., 462 Broadway, Suite 505L, New York, NY 10013).

 


A Music Recording

1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First Initial of writer. (Year of Copyright). Title of song [Recorded by First Initial

          Last Name of artist if different from the writer]. On Title of album [Medium of Recording:

          CD, record, cassette]. Location of record label: Record label. (Recording date if different

from copyright date)

2.  Reference list citation example:

Kahn, G., & Donaldson, W. (1928). Love me or leave me [S. Vaughan]. On Anthology [CD].

          Nashville: Stardust Records. (1963)

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of writer, Year of Copyright, side or track numbers)

4.  In-text citation example:

(Kahn & Donaldson, 1928)

5.  Note: See the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed., pp. 267-8, for variations in format based on recording.
 


An Audio Recording

1.  Reference list citation format:

Last Name, First Initial of primary contributor (Role of primary contributor). (Year of recording).

          Title of Recording
(Medium of recording). Location of distributor: Distributor.

2.  Reference list citation example:

Sexton, A. (Speaker). (1999). Anne Sexton reads (Cassette). New York: HarperAudio.

3.  In-text citation format:

(Last Name of primary contributor, Year of recording)

4.  In-text citation example:

(Sexton, 1999)


Entries were created using the following text:

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
         
Washington, D.C.: APA.



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http://lib.trinity.edu/research/citing/APAnontrad.shtml Last update Tuesday, 26 Jul 2005