If you plan to cite a YouTube video in an essay, you need to know how to reference it correctly. In this post, we explain the rules for doing this with AMA referencing.
Citing a YouTube Video in AMA Referencing
AMA referencing is a number–endnote (or Vancouver style) system. This means:
- Sources are cited with a superscript number in the text. Each number points to an entry in a reference list at the end of the document.
- Sources are numbered sequentially, starting with the first one you cite.
- To cite a source again later in the same document, you simply need to give the same number as you did on the first citation.
So, following the AMA Manual of Style, we would site a YouTube video as follows:
Abnormalities also impact blood sugar, but these are far rarer.1
The ‘1’ at the end of the sentence shows we’re citing the first source in the reference list. Readers can then check the reference list for the full source details.
YouTube Channels in an AMA Reference List
The format for a YouTube channel in an AMA reference list is as follows:
n. Channel Name YouTube page. Accessed [Date]. URL
In practice, then, the reference list entry for a YouTube channel should look like this:
1. Speed Pharmacology YouTube page. Accessed 19 November 2020. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-i2EBYXH6-GAglvuDIaufQ/
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But how do you reference a specific online video? Let’s take a look.
Adding a Video to an AMA Reference List
The format for a specific YouTube video in your reference list is a little different:
n. Creator’s Surname and Initial. Name of Video. Platform (e.g. YouTube). Date of Publication. Accessed [Date]. URL
In practice, then, our example citation would like this in the reference list:
1. Strong E. Diabetes Medications. YouTube. 17 August 2020. Accessed 19 November 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbn82jaZLHE
This will give readers the information they need to find the video cited.
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