FAQ: How do I cite content from my online course in APA format?

Guidance for citing course content can vary by department, course, or instructor, so check with your instructor to see how they would like you to cite course content within your assignments.

According to the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, the way you cite course content depends on the audience of your paper. If the audience can access the sources in Brightspace or other online learning systems, you will cite according to the type of resource (book, journal, PowerPoint slides, etc.).

General Guidelines

The following general guidelines can help you cite online course content:

• If you do not see an author, you can use Southern New Hampshire University or the publisher as the group author. 
• If you do not see a date, you can use (n.d.). 
• Put the title of the page or resource you are citing in italics.

General Example

References

General Format:

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of the Brightspace page. Brightspace. https://xxxxxx

For Example:

Southern New Hampshire University. (n.d.). Introduction to Research Design. Brightspace. https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/home

In-Text Citation

(Southern New Hampshire University, n.d.)

OR

Southern New Hampshire University (n.d.)

PowerPoint Slides found on Brightspace

PowerPoint Slides found on Brightspace (e.g. PowerPoint Slides found in your course that were created by SNHU, your professor or instructor, or a fellow student).

(Note: The square brackets in the examples below are optional in APA style, and are used to describe resources with information that may not appear in the actual work. See Section 9.21 of the Manual, or Using parentheses and brackets in APA Style references on the APA Style website.)

References

General Format:

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of slides [PowerPoint slides]. Brightspace. https://xxxxxx

For Example:

Southern New Hampshire University. (n.d.). Social media and marketing communications: Written/Oral project outline [PowerPoint slides]. Brightspace. https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/home

In-Text Citation

(Southern New Hampshire University, n.d.)

OR

Southern New Hampshire University (n.d.)

NimblyWise Course Resource

References

General Format:

Group Author. (Date). Title of resource. Brightspace. https://xxxxxx

For Example:

NimblyWise. (n.d.). Life in the information age. Brightspace. https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lp/auth/saml/login

NimblyWise. (n.d.). Video: Types of resources. Brightspace. https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lp/auth/saml/login

In-Text Citation

(NimblyWise, n.d.)

OR

NimblyWise (n.d.)

Disclaimer

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.