How to Cite a PowerPoint in APA: Critical Guidelines to Citation

So… when talking about how to cite a PowerPoint in APA, it can get kind of tricky. Especially when one does not know the exact specifications.

No matter if it’s from a lecture or a colleague’s presentation, you need to cite it correctly. In this article, you will learn how to cite a PowerPoint in APA style like a pro.

Learn here everything you need. This, from what includes the elements to how to format the citation correctly, to confidently refer to a PowerPoint in your academic papers. So, let’s get into the norms that will help you get it right every time!

Why citing a PowerPoint in APA is important for your work?

The citing of PowerPoint presentations in APA format is a key aspect that gives the basis for your work to be valid. Most students and researchers usually miss this vital step. However, wrong citation of these sources leads to a mix up and may further lead to accusations of plagiarism.

Citing presentations correctly is not only a technical need but also a way to give proper credit to the creators. Also, maintain the integrity of your research, and allow readers to trace the original source of info. This is really important when you reference someone else’s ideas, data, or visual content from slides.

By following the APA rules for citation, you show attention to detail. Which may make quite a difference in how your work is perceived by professors, peers, or any audience. It also follows academic standards, giving trust in the research being presented. Also, proper citation protects you from the risk of plagiarism. And it makes sure that all sources are recognized.

The bottom line is that APA citations of PowerPoint presentations give a very clear record of where your info came from. And they can be very helpful for a reader who might need to look up the original source.

This is important in both academic and professional settings, as this confirms it’s right.

Step-by-Step: How to cite a PowerPoint in APA style correctly

Correctly citing a PowerPoint Presentation up to APA norms may seem, until understood, a bit of a hassle. However, they’re really important to give credit and maintain your reputation.

So, here are the steps in the guide on how to go about the proper citation for a PowerPoint presentation in accord with APA:

Step 1: It should begin with the name of the author

First, you mention who the author of the presentation is. This can be just one person or even a couple. For example, according to APA, you write first the last name, next the abbreviation of the initials, meaning that if the creator’s name is Jonathan David, as APA citation is written “David, J.” 

Step 2: Add the date of the presentation

Next, include the year the PowerPoint was created. Also, if an exact date is not available use the closer year. In APA style this goes in parentheses directly after the author’s name with a period.

Step 3: Provide the title of the presentation

After you do that, it’s time to get into this. Because the title in the PowerPoint should be in italics. But… only the first letter of the first word, proper nouns and the first letter of any subtitle are with a capital letter.

Additionally, if the presentation is part of a larger event or lecture you can add this into the description. For example, “PowerPoint slides from [event name].” End with a period after the title.

Step 4: Identify the format

Since PowerPoints are not traditional sources, you need to specify the format in square brackets. For example, write “[PowerPoint slides]” after the title to indicate the format.

Step 5: Add the retrieval information

If you saw the PowerPoint online, provide the URL or link to the presentation. If it was shared in-person or through another method, this step may be left out. For an online presentation, include the full web address.

Example of how to cite a PowerPoint in APA

TeenMentalHealth.org, (2008). Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/understanding-mental-health-and-mental-illness-presentation/662956

How to cite a PowerPoint presented in class

The citing of a PPT usually follows a different process from the one you got from online sources. Since this one was from an in-person lecture or class session, not publicly available. In fact, you really need good citation format to avoid plagiarism.

How to properly cite a class PowerPoint will be shown in this guide, by giving a full example and providing tips for when a presentation is not up for all.

Step-by-Step: How to cite a PowerPoint from a class presentation

Here are some keys to cite a PPT from school in APA:

1. Instructor’s name

Start by listing the instructor or presenter’s last name, next their initials. This follows the standard APA format for citing any author.

2. Date of presentation

Now, just after the instructor’s name, include the year the presentation was made in parentheses. If you know the exact date, you can specify the day and month as well. For example, “(2024, September 15)” if that is when you had the lecture.

3. Title of presentation

Next, write the title of the presentation in italics. The title follows APA rules, capitalizing the first word, proper names, and the first word of a subtitle if there is one.

4. Format

Since the PowerPoint is a unique type of source, make sure to indicate the format in square brackets, such as “[PowerPoint slides].”

5. Mention accessibility

If the presentation is not available to the public—like in most cases with in-person classes—you should note that the material was “unpublished” in your citation. Actually, this is key because it makes clear that the source can’t be accessed.

Example citation for an in-person class presentation:

Smith, J. A. (2024, September 15). The future of renewable energy technologies [PowerPoint slides]. Unpublished lecture, Department of Environmental Science, University of Example.

Special considerations when the PowerPoint is not publicly available

If the PowerPoint slides from your class presentation aren’t available online (which is often the case), you’ll have to do something different. For instance, in APA style, when you can’t give a direct URL or location for the slides, the cite should have information about the event. Such as course title, department, and university name.

This makes sure that even though the presentation isn’t easy to access to the public, others can still know what it’s about. Also, remember, you’re still giving full credit to the creator.

How to do in-text citations for PowerPoint presentations

Now, these types of citations are those that allow the reader of your work to locate this source with ease. In reality, these are the references you directly make in your paper for whatever information you take while writing it.

So, when making use of a presentation via a PowerPoint, you should be aware of the proper APA rules of in-text citation. Whether the PowerPoint is sourced online or is from the class presentation, knowing its in-text citation makes sure it’s clear enough.

How to provide citations for PowerPoint presentations

For the basic form of an APA-style in-text citation, you only use an author’s last name and presentation year.

For a PowerPoint from a known author or lecturer it would look like this,

(Author, Year)

For instance, if you were citing a presentation by John Smith given in 2024, it would appear as follows:

(Smith, 2024)

This citation lets you give out your source without clutter up your text. But what happens when the PowerPoint is being set up in different scenarios, such as an in-person class or online lecture?

Let’s break it down.

How to cite a PowerPoint in APA that’s online

For PowerPoint presentations available online, the in-text citation still has the author and year, but the source should be easy to access to the reader.

Here’s a typical in-text citation format for online presentations:

(Smith, 2024)

For online PowerPoints, direct readers to your reference list for more info, including the full URL. The in-text citation stays the same, but the full citation gives more details.

Common errors that are to be avoided when one is citing PPT presentation

Citing sources in PowerPoint is key to keeping your work valid and plagiarism-free. While citing such sources, there are mistakes that a lot of people make that lower the quality of their work.

So, in this section we will show some of these errors (and how not to make them).

1. Citation incorrectly formatted.

One of the more common mistakes with citations in PPTs is not using the APA format correctly.

Remember, this is author’s last name first, year in parentheses, followed by title in italics, and format in square brackets (example: [PowerPoint slides]). By not putting the title that way, or failing to include the format, your cite is not right.

Tip: Always double check to make sure your citation is in proper APA style.

2. Omitting the author’s name

A common mistake is missing the author’s name. Without it, readers won’t know the source. So, no matter the PowerPoint is from an online source or a lecture, always make sure the author’s name is present.

Tip: Double-check that the author’s full name appears in your citation.

3. Not including the URL for online PowerPoints

For online PowerPoint presentations, some forget to put the retrieval URL, or they may provide a wrong or broken link. Also, if the PowerPoint is online, always share the full link to the slides.

Tip: Ensure the URL is correct and active before citing it in your work.

4. Citing PowerPoints like a book or journal article

A big mistake is citing PowerPoint presentations like books or journal articles. Since a PowerPoint is a multimedia source, it needs special layout. It’s key to identify it as a presentation or slides and use the right in-text citation.

Tip: Don’t forget to include “PowerPoint slides” in the citation to distinguish it from other types of sources.

Conclusion: Learn how to cite a PowerPoint in APA with Arvin AI!

Although it might be a bit more difficult to cite a PowerPoint in APA style, with the proper guidance, though, it’s not. It does not matter whether you discuss a live webinar, classroom, or cloud-shared file. Since knowing the ways of citing them makes every work looks good.

Arvin AI makes this less painful because it gives you with an easy-to-use interface, which will help in citing proper sources of any type even from PowerPoint presentations.

In reality, Arvin AI can do well-formatted citations easily with no need to spend even an hour or a minute caring about the norms of APA. So, that would be a perfect option for all and anyone who wants to be always correct with citations.

Let Arvin AI take care of the details while you focus on what really matters!

FAQs – How to cite a PowerPoint in APA

How do I cite a PowerPoint if it is shared in a Google Drive or other cloud storage?

If you share the PowerPoint through a cloud service like Google Drive, include the URL or the name of the cloud service if it is publicly available. Although, if the presentation is private, cite it without the URL.

Example (public access):

Smith, J. (2023). Novel methods in the analysis of data [slides]. Retrieved from https://workspace.google.com/intl/es-419/products/drive/

What is the difference in citing a PPT and a published paper according to APA?

The main difference is that people normally treat a PowerPoint presentation as an unpublished or non-research work. Hence, it needs special citation formats for online sources.

Must I cite every slide, or can I just cite the whole presentation?

Generally, you would cite the whole of the PowerPoint presentation. You do not have to cite every slide unless you need info for a particular slide.