How to Cite a YouTube Video in Harvard Style?

Citing and referencing a YouTube video in Harvard style is similar to that for sourcing a TED Talk. This is mainly because TED Talks are generally YouTube videos; published and released via YouTube.

So, the basic format for sourcing a YouTube video, like that of a TED Talk, in Harvard style is:

In-text citation: (Author surname Year)

Reference list entry: Author surname, Initial(s) Year, Title of video in italics, online video to denote video format, Publisher (if applicable), Place of Publication (if applicable), viewed Day, Month Year, <URL>.

For example:

In-text citation: (Southern Cross University Library 2018)

Reference list entry: Southern Cross University Library 2018, Scholarly vs non-scholarly sources, online video, YouTube, viewed 22 October 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqt7M4I-bQM>.

However, the following format for reference list entries might be used if it’s a YouTube video on another streaming site like Dailymotion or ClickView.

Author surname, Initial(s) Year, Title of video in italics, streaming video to denote video format, Publisher (if applicable), Place of Publication (if applicable), viewed Day, Month Year, <database or provider>.

For example:

In-text citation: (Geis, Jhally & Rideout 2013)

Reference list entry: Geis, K, Jhally, S & Rideout, R 2013, Feeding frenzy: the food industry, obesity and the creation of a health crisis, streaming video, Media Education Foundation, viewed 22 October 2014, <Kanopy database>.

Here, Kanopy database is the name of the streaming platform. Therefore, it’s mentioned in place of YouTube.

And if the video’s speaker/author surnames are not available or if the video was recorded/published by an organization, its name is used in place of the author’s surname.

Frequently Asked Questions