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Cite course materials in APA 7

Learn how to cite course materials in APA 7 style. Follow correct templates for lectures, handouts, online files and classroom resources to reference sources accurately in your writing.

Check with your teacher or lecturer before including course materials as a reference source.

In-text citations

  • When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
  • Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the time stamp of when the quote started.
Citation format Example
Paraphrase There is evidence of evolution in drought-tolerant plants (Stamate, 2016).
Direct quote  Stamate (2016, 2:23) claims that "drought tolerant plants have evolved …"

Reference list 

  • Online lectures and presentations are considered recoverable if recorded or are available for download as a pdf, etc. They can be included in the reference list if permitted by your teacher or lecturer. Treat according to publication type (e.g., video post, podcast, stand-alone document, etc.).
  • If the material you are citing is from an online class room, learning management system (Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard), or intranet and you are writing for an audience with access to that resource, provide the name of the site and its URL (do not link to a specific Moodle shell or page).
  • If the material is not accessible to your intended audience (e.g. requires an institutional login) cite as personal communication.
Reference format Example
Template Author. (Year, Month Day). Title [Format]. Platform. DOI/URL
Reference list entry

Stamate, G. (2016, March 30).  Amazing landscape designs with drought-tolerant plants [Video]. Moodle. https://moodle.federation.edu.au/login/index.php

In-text citations

Live lectures and classes are considered a type of personal communication. These sources are not recoverable and are not included in the reference list. For more information on referencing unrecoverable sources, see personal communication.

Provide the communicator's first initial(s) and surname, followed by an exact date as possible, including the day and month if you have this information.

Citation format Example
Template

(Initial(s). Last name, personal communication, Month Day, Year)

or

Initial(s). Last name (personal communication, Month Day, Year)
Paraphrase

Generative AI often hallucinates reference list entries, including the names of journals or articles titles (K. Pruis, personal communication, November 21, 2024).

K. Pruis (personal communication, November 21, 2024) explained the difficulty in identifying AI generated journal articles.

Reference list 

No reference list entry required.

In-text citations

  • When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
  • If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
  • Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the page number(s).
Citation format Example
Paraphrase Plants exposed to direct sunlight will show an increased concentration of stomata (Hull & Drennon, 2011).
Direct quote "Stomata density in leaves directly exposed to the sun will be greater then those in the shade" (Hull & Drennon, 2011,  p. 7)

Reference list 

Reference format Example
Template Author. (Year, Month Day). Title [Format]. Platform. DOI/URL
Reference list entry

Hull, B. & Drennon, D. (2011, February 17).  Stomata density [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/BreanaHull/stomata-density-denzelbreana-6963546

Any material that is only accessible in person at a specific time (e.g. class handouts or worksheets) or through direct communication with an individual (e.g. email or direct message) should be treated as personal communication.

If this material is an essential document (e.g. placement handouts or class handout) and had been approved by your lecturer you can use the following format for printed class materials.

In-text citations

  • When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
  • If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
Citation format Example
Paraphrase

Retribution can be very costly because … (Huang, 2012).

Huang (2012) argues that retribution can be very costly.

Reference list

  • Use the platform as the publisher (eg Moodle). If you retrieve content from a classroom website or learning management system (such as Moodle) that you need to log in to access, use the login page for the URL. See Recorded lecture and online class material for more information.
  • For paper handouts, use the School or Faculty as the publisher and include the institution name.
Reference format Example
Template Author. (Year, Month Day). Title [Format]. School/Faculty, Institution.
Reference list entry

Huang, L. (2012, March 5). The cost of retribution [Lecture notes]. School of Arts, Central University.