YouTubing Your Way to a Perfect Paper: How to Cite a YouTube Video in Chicago 17th Edition (Without Pulling Your Hair Out)
Let's face it, folks, referencing that epic cat compilation video you watched for "research purposes" might seem like a challenge in the academic world. But fear not, fellow scholars of sneezing pandas and makeup tutorials, for I bring you the ultimate guide to citing YouTube videos in Chicago style, 17th edition (because, let's be honest, who even remembers the 16th edition anymore?).
First Things First: You Got This!
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, take a deep breath and banish the fear. Citing a YouTube video is no more difficult than explaining to your grandma why you spend hours watching people play video games (although that might be a tougher battle).
Alright, Alright, Alright... Let's Get Citing!
Now, for the good stuff. Here's what you'll need to include in your citation:
- The Video Creator: This could be a fancy news channel or just some random dude with a knack for explaining astrophysics using Legos. Use their real name if available, otherwise their username will do.
- The Title of the Video: You know, those catchy (or sometimes strangely cryptic) words that make you click.
- It's a YouTube Video, Duh!: Because apparently, Chicago style needs to be reminded sometimes.
- How Long Did You Spend Watching Cats? Include the video's length, just in case your professor wants to verify your research wasn't entirely spent watching squirrels defy the laws of physics.
- Date Night with YouTube: Pop in the date the video was uploaded.
- The All-Important Web Address: That long, messy string of letters and numbers that leads you to the video. Don't worry, you won't have to memorize it – just copy and paste it!
Here's an example to make things crystal clear:
MrBossFTW, "Top 10 CRAZIEST Fortnite Glitches That Still Work (OMG #SHOCKED)," YouTube video, 14:22, March 12, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/ (Yes, that's the actual URL, folks. Try not to get lost in the rabbit hole of gaming fails.)
Bonus Tip: If you're feeling fancy, you can also include the timestamp for a specific part of the video you're referencing.
You're Practically a Citation Master Now!
See? That wasn't so bad, right? Now you can confidently reference all those informative (or just plain hilarious) YouTube videos in your paper and impress your professor with your research... skills? Let's just say they won't question your dedication to the internet ever again.
