If you want to use information from a PowerPoint presentation in your essay, you’ll need to cite it properly to get the marks you deserve. In this post, we’ll show you how to do that in line with the referencing system of the American Psychological Association (APA), using the 7th edition.
First, a word of caution: If the information you want to cite from the PowerPoint originally comes from another source – if, for example, it is a quote from a book – you need to follow the guidance for citing that source type.
If the PowerPoint itself is the original source of the information you want to cite, you need to follow the guidance in this post.
In APA style, you’ll need to cite the PowerPoint in the text and, in some cases, include it in the reference list at the end of your essay. Let’s look at each of those in turn and see why sometimes the presentation has no place in the reference list.
APA uses an author–date style for in-text citations (those that appear in the body of your essay). But for PowerPoints, an added consideration will determine whether details other than the name of the author and the year of the presentation are needed: does your audience have access to the PowerPoint?
(Carter, 2023)
Carter (2023)
If your audience does not have access to the PowerPoint, it is effectively a personal communication. Therefore, you’ll need to follow the same system used for other such communications, a process that will involve more detail, as described below.
(D. Carter, personal communication, February 21, 2023)
D. Carter (personal communication, February 21, 2023)
To include a direct quote from a written source, you would include a page number. The equivalent for a PowerPoint presentation is to include the slide number after the year, like this:
(Carter, 2023, slide 6)
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or
Carter (2023, slide 6)
When it comes to whether and how to include the PowerPoint in your reference list, the crucial question, again, is whether your audience will have access to it. There are three possibilities, which we’ll look at in turn.
If the PowerPoint you wish to cite is freely available online, then you’ll need to follow this basic format:
Author Surname, First Initial. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Host Site. URL
If the PowerPoint you wish to cite is, for example, on a classroom website and can be accessed by your audience using a log-in, then you’ll need to follow this basic format:
Author Surname, First Initial. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Site Name. URL
Because the site requires the user to log in, you’ll need to make sure the URL links to the login page.
If you cited the PowerPoint as a personal communication, it will not be available to your audience. Remember that the purpose of the reference list is to allow your audience to find the same source. If they can’t access it, don’t include it.
Following this guidance, you should be able to cite a PowerPoint in APA style confidently. Remember to ask yourself the following:
If you’re still getting in a muddle over citations and referencing or if you would simply like the peace of mind that comes with having them checked by an expert, we have skilled proofreaders available 24-7 who can help. You can even try out our services for free.
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