YouTubing Your Way to a Top Grade: How to Cite Like a Scholar (Even for Cat Videos)
Ah, YouTube. The land of makeup tutorials gone wrong, historical documentaries narrated by squirrels, and enough cat videos to make Schrödinger himself dizzy. But for us studious sorts, YouTube can also be a treasure trove of educational content. The problem? How do you cite that wacky science experiment or that oddly insightful video essay on the meaning of life...when it comes from a platform better known for doge memes? Fear not, fellow scholars, for Purdue OWL (the Online Writing Lab, not a particularly wise owl) is here to hold your virtual hand and guide you through the murky waters of Chicago-style YouTube citations.
First Things First: You Got the Source, Now Get the Format
Chicago style, unlike that particularly enthusiastic interpretive dancer you saw on YouTube, is all about proper form. Here's the basic breakdown:
- Creator Name: This could be the uploader's real name (if available) or their username. Bonus points if their username is something delightfully obscure like "PickleWhisperer420".
- Title of the Video: Put quotation marks around this one, just like you would with a magazine article (though hopefully the video is more interesting than your dentist's waiting room magazines).
- Date Uploaded: Because who wants to accidentally cite a video from the dark ages of 2010 (unless it's a particularly hilarious compilation of those Numa Numa Yei videos).
- Platform: Yes, you have to tell everyone it's from YouTube. Unless your professor is secretly a vampire who hasn't seen the light of day (or the internet) in centuries.
- URL: Don't forget the web address! This is how your fellow scholars (or your professor, the non-vampire kind) can find the video and, you know, actually watch the dog surfing competition you're referencing in your research paper.
Here's an example to put it all together:
N: 1. Scruff McFlufferbutt (username may vary), "How to Train Your Goldfish to Do Calculus" [Video]. YouTube, March 14, 2024. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b3JFmrlgWAk
Pro Tip: If the video is super long (like a documentary or something), you can include the running time after the title in brackets. Just don't blame us if your professor raises an eyebrow at your citation for a 5-hour video on the history of spoon collecting.
Avoiding the Citation Abyss: What to Do When Things Get Weird
The beauty (or perhaps the horror) of YouTube is its sheer variety. So, what happens when your source material isn't exactly a polished TED Talk? Here are a few tips for tackling the strange and wonderful:
- No Creator Name? No Problem! If the uploader is a mystery, just use "Uploader" in its place.
- It's a Remix! If you're citing a video that's a compilation of clips from other sources, treat it like a regular video but mention the original creators in your in-text citation (fun fact: Chicago citations love in-text citations!).
- Live Streams? A Scholar's Dilemma! Live streams are a bit of a grey area. If it's archived and available to watch later, you can cite it like a normal video. If it's a fleeting moment lost to the internet void, well...maybe find a more stable source.
So You've Mastered YouTube Citations, Now What?
Now that you've conquered the art of the Chicago-style YouTube citation, you can finally impress your professor with your knowledge of both scholarly referencing and, well, cat videos. Remember, though, to use these citations wisely. After all, no one wants a research paper that reads like the transcript of a particularly philosophical Reddit thread. But hey, if you can find a way to weave a scholarly analysis of squirrel documentaries into your next paper, more power to you. Just remember to underline your thesis (because squirrels with existential crises deserve proper emphasis).
