Social Media and Online Forums

• Personal or private communications: Use both the initial(s) and the last name; also provide the full date. 

• Public communications: Use the standard formats for quotations, paraphrase, and summary.

There are two common types of social media or online forum communications: personal (posted for friends/followers/members only) and public.  Both types require in-text citations, but only public communications require reference entries. Here are examples in the narrative format and the parenthetical format for both types.

Narrative citation - personal

C.J. Caldwell (personal communication, May 15, 2024) posted on Facebook that his kids are better off on a vegan diet.

Parenthetical citation - personal

One parent posted that his kids are better off on a vegan diet (C.J. Caldwell, personal communication, May 15, 2024).

Narrative citation  - public

Austin (2024) posted on Facebook that his students prefer campus classes over online classes. 

Parenthetical citation - public 

One teacher posted that his students prefer campus classes over online classes (Austin, 2024).