How to Make a Powerpoint Presentation Meet the APA Format

Powerpoint presentations are effective for conveying information to audiences in visual format but still require citation of sources. Properly citing sources will protect you from plagiarizing while also lending credibility to your own work. Following a few guidelines will ensure proper APA citation in your Powerpoint presentation.

Formating Your Presentation

There are no specific formats for presentations to meet APA guidelines. However, the American Psychological Association suggests that your presentation use font styles and sizes that are easy to read such as Times New Roman 12 point font. Citations are required in presentations just as they are in manuscripts. In-text citations and the reference page may appear in smaller font, but still must be readable.

In-Text Citations

All information that you have obtained from a source other than your own general knowledge must include a citation. This is important as it lends credibility to your work and prevents the possibility of plagiarism. To cite general information in-text, you should include the author's last name and the date of publication in parenthesis immediately following the information. To cite a direct quote, you should include the author's last name, the date of publication and the corresponding page number in parenthesis immediately following the quote.

Figures and Images

All figures and images that are not of your own creation must be cited in your Powerpoint presentation. To cite figures and images, you should include the author's last name or the copyright holder -- which is often an entity -- and the date of publication directly under the figure or image in parenthesis. If the date of publication is not available, substitute the date of retrieval. If the figure or image is obtained from a print source, include the corresponding page number. If the figure or image is obtained from a digital source, include the web address from which it was retrieved. You should also make a notation if the table is reprinted or adapted and include information on the original source both in citation and on the reference page.

For example:

Tables

You can cite tables that present an overview from a source by including the author's last name and date of publication in parenthesis immediately under the table. Tables that are exact replicas from another individual's work can be cited by including the author's last name, date of publication and corresponding page numbers in parenthesis immediately under the table.

Reference Page

All references from throughout your presentation must be included on a separate reference page. Title the page "References." Double-space all references and use hanging indentation.

For a journal reference, include the author's last name, first initial, date of publication, title of work, title of journal (italicized), volume (italicized) and number of journal and corresponding pages.

Example:

For a book reference, include the author's last name, first initial, date of publication, title of book (italicized), place of publication and publisher.

Example:

For a website, include the author's last name or entity, first initial, date of publication, title of website and the web address preceded by "retrieved from".

Example: