Download Article Show Download Article Citing a PDF is actually really simple, we promise! This article will show you how to format your citation, whether you’re using MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style. Below you’ll find the formatting guidelines for each style, plus some PDF citation examples.
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Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement ReferencesAbout This ArticleArticle SummaryX If you’re writing a paper in MLA style and you need to cite a PDF file, use an in-text citation with the author of the file and the page number of your reference in parentheses. If you mention the author in your statement, you can just place the page number in the parentheses. In the bibliography, the exact format for referencing the file will depend on whether the PDF is from an ebook or a journal article. Read on for tips from our reviewer for citing a PDF in APA format! Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 447,483 times. Is this article up to date?How do you cite a PDF document?So if the PDF is a book, cite it as a book with the PDF's URL; if it's a journal article, cite it as a journal article with the URL; and so on. In general, to cite a PDF in APA format, use the same formula as you would to cite a website in APA format: Last name of author, First name initials. (Year of publication).
Do you cite the PDF page or the actual page?Always cite the PDF based on what source the file actually is. A PDF, after all, is not really a source itself, but rather a file type and a way to display a source. For example, if the source you wish to cite is a PDF of a newspaper article, cite the source as you would a newspaper.
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