How to Cite Facebook Status Updates Using the APA Style

How to Cite Facebook Status Updates Using the APA Style

By Janpha Thadphoothon

In the modern world, especially the digital world, what we often encounter is the information from social media platforms, e.g. Facebook. 

Many times, we as researchers would like to cite 'data or information' from FB status updates. There are two ways to do it:

1. In some situations, online communication can be done on a person-to-person basis. Here we can cite it as 'personal communication' - This can be done easily. In the APA style, personal communication is any source that is not publicly accessible ( e.g. email correspondence). Personal communications are cited in the text, but not included in the reference list.

Ex:

Janpha Thadphoothon(personal communication, July 5, 2020) also claimed that many of his students had difficulties paraphrasing passive voice sentences. 

2. Cite the status update using the APA style - This is useful for us. The structure is simple .

First name Last name. (Year, Month Date). Status update text [Facebook update]. Retrieved from URL.

Example:

Janpha Thadphoothon. (2020, July 11). Like reading, writing alters space and time. [Facebook update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/janpha

In-text citation: (Thadphoothon, 2020).