how to cite an article summary apa

APA Referencing (APA 7th edition)

• Summarising/Paraphrasing
• Citations/Quotations and Abbreviations
• In-text citations
• Audiovisual material
• Books (print or online)
• Conferences, press releases, reports, reviews, theses.
• Journal/Magazine article (print or online)
• News article (print or online)
• Personal communication
• Social media (Facebook, Blogs and more)
• Sound recordings
• Reference list example
• More information

Direct quotes should only be used sparingly in your work. It's generally better to put material into your own words, as this demonstrates your understanding of the material. Reserve direct quotes for particularly well written, striking content. To avoid plagiarism, it's also important to make sure that you do more than just make minor changes to the wording. 

To paraphrase or summarise without plagiarising:

• Note the key points from the resource;
• Without looking at the original material, write the idea in your own words;
• Review the original material to check you have conveyed the idea correctly
• Check that your writing does not use the same phrasing as the original source. Making minor changes to the material is not sufficient;
• Specialised subject terms do not need to be changed;
• If you cannot paraphrase, use a direct quote;
• Include both an  in-text citation and a reference list entry for each resource used.

Summarising

Summarising involves repeating the main ideas of a passage in your own words.  A summary concentrates on the important points rather than the details.

Original text

'... in order to learn consumers' views on beauty, Dove surveyed girls and women in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.  Some of the results were disturbing; for example, in Britain, more than half of those surveyed said their bodies "disgusted" them.  Six out of ten girls believed they would be happier if they were thinner, but actually fewer than two out of ten were in fact overweight.  Apparently, fashion's images of artificially curvaceous models and celebrities had wreaked not a little havoc on young self-concepts.'

Example of a summary  

Rath, Bay, Petrizzi and Gill (2015) report that the results of a survey by Dove of young girls and women in Britain indicate that many young girls have false ideas about whether they are overweight or not.  ​

Points to note :

There are different ways you can incorporate an in-text citation into your work. You can include the author's surname/s and the date in brackets at the end of a sentence or use the author's name/s  as part of your sentence.

Rath, P.M. , Bay, S.,   Petrizzi, R. &  Gill, P.  (2015). The why of the buy: Consumer behavior and fashion marketing (2nd ed.). Fairchild Books.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is expressing what an author writes in another way. 

'An interesting aspect of plant growth is that new cells and tissues are formed all through the lifespan of of the plant, even in trees that may be a hundred or more years old" (Clarke & Lee, 2019)

Example of a paraphrase

As Clarke & Lee (2019) explain, old plants continue to grow new cells. 

Trees continue growing new cells throughout their entire life (Clarke & Lee, 2019).

Clarke, I. & Lee, H.. (2019). Name that flower (3rd ed). Melbourne University Press.

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APA Summary

How should a summarized passage or work be cited.

When summarizing a passage or work from another writer, briefly outline in your own original words the major ideas presented in the source material. As brevity is the key feature of a summary, it is essential to express the main concepts of the original passage in as concise a manner as possible. Consider using a summary—rather than a short or block quotation—when preserving the original wording of the source material is not necessary for the reader to understand the ideas under discussion.

Let’s look at an example of a cited summary:

Original text:  “In their everyday life, people generally assume that they see the world around them the way it really is. When camping in Colorado, hikers believe they see the horizon as dotted with snow-covered mountaintops. When laying on the beach in North Carolina, sunbathers believe they see pelicans flying above the breaking waves. And these people would nearly always be right. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine  not  believing that the sights and sounds delivered to conscious awareness by perceptual systems are accurate renderings of the outside world. It would be difficult to know how to act if one could not trust one’s senses to accurately report what the world outside is like” (Balcetis, 2010, p. 77). [2]

Summary:  In  Social Psychology of Visual Perception , Balcetis (2010) argues that because humans rely on the sensory information received from their body, they form preconceived beliefs about their surroundings that manifest as imaginary visual occurrences (p. 77). [2]

Note:  The summary maintains the ideas of the original passage while concisely expressing its main concepts. The original author is also cited properly.

How should multiple sources be cited in a single parenthetical reference?

If multiple works need to be cited in the same set of parentheses, simply arrange them in alphabetical order by the author’s last names, or the order in which they would be listed in the References page. Use a semicolon to separate each work from the next one.

Let’s look at an example of multiple authors being cited:

In the past thirty years, Parkinson’s disease has been written about extensively by recognized figures in the field (Dorros, 1989; Duvoisin, 1991; Hauser & Zesiewicz, 1996). [3][4][5]

Note:  This example includes the in-text citations of three works arranged in alphabetical order by authors’ names, separated by semi-colons, and enclosed in parentheses.

• Formatting In-text Citations (APA)

[1] Pender, K. (1998).  Digital colour in graphic design . Burlington, VT: Elsevier Science & Technology.

[2] Balcetis, E. (2010).  Social psychology of visual perception . Hoboken, NJ: Taylor & Francis.

[3] Dorros, S. (1989).  Parkinson’s: A patient’s view . Cabin John, MD: Seven Locks Press.

[4] Duvoisin, R. C. (1991).  Parkinson’s disease: A guide for patient and family . New York, NY: Raven Press.

[5] Hauser, R. A., & Zesiewicz, T. A. (1996).  Parkinson’s disease: Questions and answers . Coral Springs, FL: Merit.

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In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Reference citations in text are covered on pages 261-268 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.

Note:  On pages 117-118, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998)  found  or Jones (1998)  has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998)  finds ).

APA Citation Basics

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but  NOT  directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.

On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages) before listing the page number(s). Use an en dash for page ranges. For example, you might write (Jones, 1998, p. 199) or (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–201). This information is reiterated below.

Regardless of how they are referenced, all sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining

• Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
• If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source:  Permanence and Change . Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs:  Writing New Media ,  There Is Nothing Left to Lose .

( Note:  in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized:  Writing new media .)

• When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word:  Natural-Born Cyborgs .
• Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's  Vertigo ."
• If the title of the work is italicized in your reference list, italicize it and use title case capitalization in the text:  The Closing of the American Mind ;  The Wizard of Oz ;  Friends .
• If the title of the work is not italicized in your reference list, use double quotation marks and title case capitalization (even though the reference list uses sentence case): "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash).

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout, but do not add an extra blank line before or after it. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Because block quotation formatting is difficult for us to replicate in the OWL's content management system, we have simply provided a screenshot of a generic example below.

Formatting example for block quotations in APA 7 style.

Quotations from sources without pages

Direct quotations from sources that do not contain pages should not reference a page number. Instead, you may reference another logical identifying element: a paragraph, a chapter number, a section number, a table number, or something else. Older works (like religious texts) can also incorporate special location identifiers like verse numbers. In short: pick a substitute for page numbers that makes sense for your source.

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference and may omit the page numbers. APA guidelines, however, do encourage including a page range for a summary or paraphrase when it will help the reader find the information in a longer work. 

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Summary of an Article

Selecting an article from a peer- reviewed or academic journal:

• Make sure your subject is approved by your instructor.
• If your instructor wants a “research” article, make sure that your article has the 4 main components of a research article: introduction, methods, results and discussion ( or something very similar to those).
• Journal articles are usually on very specific topic or research. (generally, you are not going to find a peer-reviewed article that explains a disease. Instead, you may find articles about research in a particular aspect of the disease).
• Make sure that the subject of the article is of interest to you.
• Find an article that is not too technical for you and that you understand the main points of the article.
• Read the abstract first if available to understand what the article is about.

  Writing a summary of an article:

• Understand what your instructor expects from this assignment.
• The citation for the article has to be in APA style (unless your instructor tells you otherwise). If you obtained the article from one of our databases, it usually has it cited for you, although not always correct.
• When summarizing the article do not do write what is in the abstract, even if you change your words around.  That is plagiarism
• Do not just state the information you find in the article by changing words or paraphrasing a paragraph.  That is plagiarism .
• The best way is to read the article, write notes and without looking at it summarize it in your own words.
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APA Style Guide 7th Edition

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General Guidelines for Paraphrasing and Summarizing

• Paraphrasing is when you put a passage or idea from another work into your own words.
• A paraphrased passage is generally shorter and more condensed than the original.
• You can cite your information as part of the sentence (called a narrative citation) or at the end in parentheses (known as a parenthetical citation).
• Summarizing is very similar to paraphrasing in that it also involves putting someone else’s ideas into your own words in order to condense the material.
• A summary includes only the main points and/or ideas in a longer passage or entire work.    
• If you have two or more authors, use the word 'and' for narrative citations and the ampersand '&' for parenthetical citations. 
• If you have three or more authors, use 'et al.' after the first authors last name to indicated there are additional authors. 
• You only include the author/year from the article your are summarizing. You do not need to include page numbers or section identification. 
• If you are citing multiple works parenthetically, place the citations in alphabetical order separated by semicolons. 

Narrative Paraphrasing/Summarizing    

Single Author:  Simmons (2019) notes that teachers need to use clear body language including using good posture and eye contact when giving directions. 

Two Authors:  Orben and Przybylski (2019) determined that half of the participants in recent studies overestimated how much time they spend on the internet and a quarter of the participants underestimate it. 

Three or More Authors:   Larson et al. (2019) pointed out middle school students reported significant less time spent outdoors in nature and more time on screens than their parents reported they did.   

Parenthetical Paraphrasing/Summarizing  

Single Author:  Teachers need to use clear body language including using good posture and eye contact when giving directions (Simmons, 2019). 

Two Authors:   H alf of the  participants  in recent studies  overestimated  how much time they spend on the internet and a quarter of the participants underestimate it (Orben  &  Przybylski,  2019).

Three or More Authors:    Middle school students reported significant less time spent outdoors in nature and more time on screens than their parents reported they did  ( Larson et al., 2019).   

Parenthetical Summary With Multiple Sources 

Behavior-specific praise and adherence to schedule and routines are two classroom management practices that can increase academic engagement and improve classroom management (Collier-Meek et al., 2019; O’Hanley & Jones, 2020; Simmons, 2019).  

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Summaries may include rapid reviews, reports, white papers, and/or point-of-care tools (e.g., DynaMed, BMJ Best Practice, etc.)

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

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Table of Contents

Journal article from library database with doi - one author, journal article from library database with doi - multiple authors, journal article from a website - one author.

Journal Article- No DOI

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

• APA 7th. ed. Journal Article Reference Checklist

If an item has no author, start the citation with the article title.

When an article has one to twenty authors, all authors' names are cited in the References List entry. When an article has twenty-one or more authors list the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of articles.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Volume and Issue Numbers

Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers.

Retrieval Dates

Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, like a free website or a wiki.

Page Numbers

If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)

Library Database

Do not include the name of a database for works obtained from most academic research databases (e.g. APA PsycInfo, CINAHL) because works in these resources are widely available. Exceptions are Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations, and UpToDate.

Include the DOI (formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/...) if it is available. If you do not have a DOI, include a URL if the full text of the article is available online (not as part of a library database). If the full text is from a library database, do not include a DOI, URL, or database name.

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Smith, K. F. (2022). The public and private dialogue about the American family on television: A second look. Journal of Media Communication, 50 (4), 79-110. https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.x

Note: The DOI number is formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.xIf. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Smith, 2000)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Smith, 2000, p. 80)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Note: Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.

Note: In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including 20 authors. When a source has 21 or more authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name. Don't include an ampersand (&) between the ellipsis and final author.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Reference List Examples

Two to 20 Authors

Case, T. A., Daristotle, Y. A., Hayek, S. L., Smith, R. R., & Raash, L. I. (2011). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3 (2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010

21 or more authors

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetma, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 77 (3), 437-471. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2

In-Text Citations

Two Authors/Editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Case et al., 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL

Flachs, A. (2010). Food for thought: The social impact of community gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area.  Electronic Green Journal, 1 (30). http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bh7j4z4

Example: (Flachs, 2010)

Example: (Flachs, 2010, Conclusion section, para. 3)

Note: In this example there were no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, in this case you can cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. If there are no page or paragraph numbers and no marked section, leave this information out.

Journal Article - No DOI

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. URL [if article is available online, not as part of a library database]

Full-Text Available Online (Not as Part of a Library Database):

Steinberg, M. P., & Lacoe, J. (2017). What do we know about school discipline reform? Assessing the alternatives to suspensions and expulsions.  Education Next, 17 (1), 44–52.  https://www.educationnext.org/what-do-we-know-about-school-discipline-reform-suspensions-expulsions/

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page number)

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017, p. 47)

Full-Text Available in Library Database:

Jungers, W. L. (2010). Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back.  Nature, 463 (2), 433-434.

Example: (Jungers, 2010)

Example: (Jungers, 2010, p. 433)

• << Previous: How to Cite: Common Sources
• Next: Magazine/Newspaper Articles >>
• Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 3:01 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/apa

Tips on Summarizing

• Use your own words
• Include the key relevant elements of the original and keep it brief - you're just going for the original's essence
• Do not include your interpretation/analysis within the summary - make a clear distinction between your thoughts and someone else's
• Vary how you introduce or attribute your sources, like "according to..." or "so-and-so concludes that..." so your readers don't get bored
• Always include a citation

Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (2004). Sociocultural idealization of thin female body shapes: An introduction to the special issue on body image and eating disorders. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology , 23, 1-6. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.460

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How to Cite an Article

Last Updated: November 22, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 91,832 times. Learn more...

Articles in scholarly journals and magazines, both in print and online, are common sources for research papers. Provide an in-text citation every time you paraphrase or quote from the article, and include a full citation in a bibliography at the end of your paper. While the basic information in your citation will be the same, the format varies depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago style of citation.

Sample Citations

• Example: Buchman, Dana.
• If there are 2 authors, separate their names with a comma, typing the word "and" before the last author's name. Only invert the first author's name. For example: Martin, Johnathan A., and Christopher Jackson.
• For 3 or more authors, list the first author's name, followed by a comma and the abbreviation "et. al." For example: Fontela, Pablo, et. al.

• Example: Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education."
• If the article has a subtitle, type a colon and a space after the title, then type the subtitle in title case. Place a period at the end of the subtitle, inside the closing quotation marks.

• Example: Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping , Mar. 2006,
• For scholarly journals, include the volume and issue numbers after the name of the publication. Separate these elements with commas. For example: Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms": The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu ." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature , vol. 15, no. 1, 1996,
• If the article appears in a smaller regional or local publication, type the location in brackets after the title of the publication. For example: Trembacki, Paul. "Brees Hopes to Win Heisman for Team." Purdue Exponent [West Lafayette, IN], 5 Dec. 2000,

• Print example: Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping , Mar. 2006, pp. 143-148.
• Online example: Trembacki, Paul. "Brees Hopes to Win Heisman for Team." Purdue Exponent [West Lafayette, IN], 5 Dec. 2000, www.purdueexponent.org/sports/article_b6f722b8-9595-58b8-849b-5a8447bbf793.html.

MLA Works Cited Format

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article in Title Case." Title of Publication , Day Month Year, pp. ##-##. URL or DOI.

• For example, you might write: "For a woman who had encountered few obstacles on the road to success, having a daughter with learning disabilities presented challenges and an opportunity to grow as a person (Buchman 147)."
• If the source was not paginated, only the author's name is needed. If you incorporated the author's name in the body of your paper and the source is not paginated, you don't need a parenthetical citation.

• Example: Will, G. F. (2004, July 5).
• If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas. Use an ampersand (&) before the last author's name.

• Example: Will, G. F. (2004, July 5). Waging war on Wal-Mart.

• Print example: Will, G. F. (2004, July 5). Waging war on Wal-Mart. Newsweek, 144 ,
• For online-only sources, include the domain extension (such as ".com" or ".org) in the publication title. If the source also exists in print, leave the domain extension out of the publication title. For example: Romm, J. (2008, February 27). The cold truth about climate change. Salon.com .

• Print example: Will, G. F. (2004, July 5). Waging war on Wal-Mart. Newsweek, 144 , 64.
• Online example: Romm, J. (2008, February 27). The cold truth about climate change. Salon.com . http://www.salon.com/2008/02/27/global_warming_deniers/

APA Reference List Format

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of article in sentence case. Title of Publication , Page#. Retrieved from URL.

• For example, you might write: "Romm (2008) concluded that international reports actually underestimated the threat of climate change."
• If you don't include the author's name in the body of your paper, use a standard parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence, inside the closing punctuation. For example, you might write: "Many climate change deniers misinterpret scientific consensus as groupthink (Romm, 2008)."

• Example: Goldman, Jason G.

• Example: Goldman, Jason G. "Lizards Learn a Silly Walk after Losing Their Tail."
• If the article has a subtitle, type a colon and a space after the title, then type the subtitle in title case. Place a period at the end of the subtitle.

• Example: Goldman, Jason G. "Lizards Learn a Silly Walk after Losing Their Tail." Scientific American , December 1, 2017.
• For articles in scholarly journals include the volume and issue numbers, then place the date of publication in parentheses. Place a colon after the date of publication. For example: Bunce, Valerie. "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Postcommunist Experience." World Politics 55, no. 2 (2003):

• Print example: Bunce, Valerie. "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Postcommunist Experience." World Politics 55, no. 2 (2003): 167-192.
• Online example: Goldman, Jason G. "Lizards Learn a Silly Walk after Losing Their Tail." Scientific American , December 1, 2017. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lizards-learn-a-silly-walk-after-losing-their-tail/.

Chicago Bibliography Format

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article in Title Case." Title of Publication , Month Day, Year. URL.

• Print example: Valerie Bunce, "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Postcommunist Experience," World Politics 55, no. 2 (2003): 167-192.
• Online example: Jason G. Goldman, "Lizards Learn a Silly Walk after Losing Their Tail," Scientific American , December 1, 2017, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lizards-learn-a-silly-walk-after-losing-their-tail/.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_periodicals.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/articles
• ↑ https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7JournalArticles
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://libguides.heidelberg.edu/chicago/article
• ↑ https://rdc.libguides.com/c.php?g=372661&p=2697745

About This Article

To cite an article in MLA, start with the authors last name, followed by a comma, their first name, and a period. Then, add the title of the article in quotation marks with a period at the end of the title inside the quotes. Next, include the title of the periodical in italics, followed by a comma and the date of publication written in a day-month-year format. Finally, put a comma after the year, followed by the page number or URL where the article can be found and a period. To learn how to cite an article using Chicago or APA style, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide

Citing your sources is essential in  academic writing . Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a  citation crediting the original author.

Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism , since you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

The most commonly used citation styles are APA and MLA. The free Scribbr Citation Generator is the quickest way to cite sources in these styles. Simply enter the URL, DOI, or title, and we’ll generate an accurate, correctly formatted citation.

Generate accurate citations with Scribbr

Table of contents, when do you need to cite sources, which citation style should you use, in-text citations, reference lists and bibliographies.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Other useful citation tools

Citation examples and full guides, frequently asked questions about citing sources.

Citations are required in all types of academic texts. They are needed for several reasons:

• To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you’re taking information from another source
• To give proper credit to the author of that source
• To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselves

A citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:

• To quote a source , copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks .
• To paraphrase a source , put the text into your own words. It’s important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. You can use the paraphrasing tool if you don’t want to do this manually.

Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don’t forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos , and lectures .

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Usually, your institution (or the journal you’re submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor.

In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently:

• APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and beyond.
• MLA style is common in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography , common in the humanities
• Chicago author-date , used in the (social) sciences
• There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.

If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow.

In most styles, your citations consist of:

• Brief in-text citations at the relevant points in the text
• A reference list or bibliography containing full information on all the sources you’ve cited

In-text citations most commonly take the form of parenthetical citations featuring the last name of the source’s author and its year of publication (aka author-date citations).

An alternative to this type of in-text citation is the system used in numerical citation styles , where a number is inserted into the text, corresponding to an entry in a numbered reference list.

There are also note citation styles , where you place your citations in either footnotes or endnotes . Since they’re not embedded in the text itself, these citations can provide more detail and sometimes aren’t accompanied by a full reference list or bibliography.

A reference list (aka “Bibliography” or “Works Cited,” depending on the style) is where you provide full information on each of the sources you’ve cited in the text. It appears at the end of your paper, usually with a hanging indent applied to each entry.

The information included in reference entries is broadly similar, whatever citation style you’re using. For each source, you’ll typically include the:

• Author name
• Publication date
• Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in)
• Location (e.g., a URL or DOI , or sometimes a physical location)

The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization, use of italics) also varies.

Most commonly, the entries in your reference list are alphabetized by author name. This allows the reader to easily find the relevant entry based on the author name in your in-text citation.

In numerical citation styles, the entries in your reference list are numbered, usually based on the order in which you cite them. The reader finds the right entry based on the number that appears in the text.

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

Because each style has many small differences regarding things like italicization, capitalization , and punctuation , it can be difficult to get every detail right. Using a citation generator can save you a lot of time and effort.

Scribbr offers citation generators for both APA and MLA style. Both are quick, easy to use, and 100% free, with no ads and no registration required.

Just input a URL or DOI or add the source details manually, and the generator will automatically produce an in-text citation and reference entry in the correct format. You can save your reference list as you go and download it when you’re done, and even add annotations for an annotated bibliography .

Once you’ve prepared your citations, you might still be unsure if they’re correct and if you’ve used them appropriately in your text. This is where Scribbr’s other citation tools and services may come in handy:

Plagiarism Checker

Citation Checker

Citation Editing

Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It’s a serious offense in academia. Universities use plagiarism checking software to scan your paper and identify any similarities to other texts.

When you’re dealing with a lot of sources, it’s easy to make mistakes that could constitute accidental plagiarism. For example, you might forget to add a citation after a quote, or paraphrase a source in a way that’s too close to the original text.

Using a plagiarism checker yourself before you submit your work can help you spot these mistakes before they get you in trouble. Based on the results, you can add any missing citations and rephrase your text where necessary.

Try out the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker for free, or check out our detailed comparison of the best plagiarism checkers available online.

Scribbr Plagiarism Checker

Scribbr’s Citation Checker is a unique AI-powered tool that automatically detects stylistic errors and inconsistencies in your in-text citations. It also suggests a correction for every mistake.

Currently available for APA Style, this is the fastest and easiest way to make sure you’ve formatted your citations correctly. You can try out the tool for free below.

If you need extra help with your reference list, we also offer a more in-depth Citation Editing Service.

Our experts cross-check your in-text citations and reference entries, make sure you’ve included the correct information for each source, and improve the formatting of your reference page.

If you want to handle your citations yourself, Scribbr’s free Knowledge Base provides clear, accurate guidance on every aspect of citation. You can see citation examples for a variety of common source types below:

And you can check out our comprehensive guides to the most popular citation styles:

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.

“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .

Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.

Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.

The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

MLA Style  is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

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How to Reference Articles in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

If you write a psychology paper, you will need to reference several sources in APA format. Journal articles are often used and cited to summarize the results of studies and experiments conducted by researchers. In most cases, you will need to create references for at least five or more journal articles for every APA format paper you write.

APA format details a set of strict rules for referencing articles that appear in academic journals and other periodicals. These vary somewhat based on where the article appears and who the authors are. While most articles you will use in your paper appear in academic and professional journals, you may also find articles in magazines, newspapers, and online publications.

Keep reading for a breakdown of the rules for creating references in APA format.

Basic Structure for Journal Article References

Begin the reference with the author's last name and first initials, followed by the date of publication in parentheses. Provide the title of the article, but only capitalize the first letter of the title. Next, include the journal or periodical and volume number in italics, followed by the issue number in parentheses. Finally, provide the page numbers where the article can be found.

Author, I. N. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal or Periodical, volume number (issue number), page numbers.

Smith, L. V. (2000). Referencing articles in APA format. APA Format Weekly, 34 (1), 4-10.

If possible, include the DOI (digital object identifier) number at the end of your reference. If a DOI number is not available and you accessed the article online, give the URL of the journal's home page.

Formatting Rules

• The title , subtitle and all proper nouns should be capitalized.
• Your reference page should be double-spaced.
• The first line of each reference should be flush left and remaining lines should be indented

Be sure to check your references using the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. See an example of different types of references and learn more about APA format .

Magazine Articles

The structure of a reference for an article appearing in a magazine is similar to that of a journal article. However, be sure to add the month and day of publication to the publication date.

James, S. A. (2001, June 7). Magazine articles in APA format. Newsweek, 20, 48-52.

Newspaper Articles

References for newspaper articles follow the basic structure as magazines, but you should list each individual page the article appears on rather than a page range.

Tensky, J. A. (2004, January 5). How to cite newspaper articles. The New York Times, 4D, 5D.

Articles With Two Authors

If an article has two authors, follow the basic format for a journal reference. Place a comma after the first initial of the first author followed by an ampersand (&). Then, include the last name and first initial of the second author.

Mischel, W., & Baker, N. (1975). Cognitive transformations of reward objects through instructions.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31 , 254-261.

Articles With Three to Twenty Authors

 For journal articles with three to 20 authors, you will follow a similar format as with two authors but each author and their initials will be separated with a comma. The final author should be preceded by an ampersand. Follow this same format for each additional author up to 20 authors.

Hart, D., Keller, M., Edelstein, W., & Hofmann, V. (1998). Childhood personality influences on social-cognitive development: A longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1288-1289. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1278

Keller, J. L., Smithfield, K. B., Ellis, M., Michelina, R., & Bels, S. (1987). The limitations of anchoring bias. J ournal of Market Research, 17 , 115-119.

Articles With More Than Twenty Authors

The rules for referencing both single and multiple authors apply to all sources, whether the material came from books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, journal articles, or online sources. Include the last name and first initials of each author, with individuals' names separated by a comma. The last author should be preceded with an ampersand.

If the article includes 20 or fewer authors, list each author separately. If there are more than 20, include the first 19 and then include an ellipse (. . . ) in place of the authors' names before listing the final author.

Arlo, A., Black, B., Clark, C., Davidson, D., Emerson, E., Fischer, F., Grahmann, G., Habib, H., Ianelli, I., Juarez, J., Kobayashi, K., Lee, L., Martin, M., Naim, N., Odelsson, O., Pierce, P., Qiang, Q., Reed, R., Scofield, S., . . . Thatcher, T. (2011). Even more references. APA Format Today, 11 (4), 30-38.

Articles With No Author

If an article does not cite any authors, start the reference with the title of the article. Follow this with the publication date, source, and URL if the article was accessed electronically.

Scientists seek source of creativity. (2012, March, 6). Dayton County News. http://www.daytoncountynews.com/news/39756_39275.html

The reference section is one of the easiest places to lose points due to incorrect APA format, so be sure to check your references before you hand in your psychology papers . While it may be tedioous, learning to reference articles in proper APA style will help you throughout your study of psychology.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). The American Psychological Association, 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Cite a Summary of a Magazine Article in APA Format

Papers written in American Psychological Association, or APA, style reflect research and scholarship in the fields of science. APA style outlines the standards of formatting and citations for commonly used research references. Writers might wish to reference magazine articles as a source of information. APA style citations for magazine articles are very similar to citations for journal articles.

In-Text Citation

In-text citations of magazine article summaries are normally placed at the end of the last summary sentence before the final punctuation. For example:

(Sparks, 2013).

Place the author’s last name followed by a comma and the year of publication in parentheses). If the summary includes directly quoted material from the author, include the page number. For example:

(Sparks, 2013, p. 6).

Reference Citation

All APA style papers include a "References" page listing all sources used in the research. A reference citation for a summary of magazine article includes: the author’s last name, a comma, and the author’s first initial, followed by a period. Next, place in parentheses the year of publication, a comma, and the month of publication, followed by a period. Write the title of the article, capitalizing only the first word. If the title contains a colon (:), capitalize the first word after the colon. Place a period after the complete title name. Italicize the magazine title and capitalize all major words. Follow the title with a comma, italicize the volume number, place the issue number in parentheses, add a comma, include the page range, and then end with a period. For example:

Sparks, S. (2013, April). Gaps found in access to qualified math teachers. Education Week, 32(27), 6.

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• Bowling Green State University: Citing a Journal or Magazine Article
• "Concise Rules of APA Style," Sixth edition
• "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," Sixth edition
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Reference List-Articles in Periodicals
• University of North Florida: Citing Magazine Articles

Heather Dennull has been active in the education field since 2003. She teaches developmental English and introductory courses in humanities and philosophy at the college level. She has a master's degree in education and is working toward a doctorate in educational leadership.

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How to Write a Summary APA Style

Table of Contents

Summarizing the contents of your work is an excellent method to pique the interest of a potential reader. But do you know how to write a summary APA style?

When presented with a lengthy piece of writing, most readers will either scan it or turn first to the author’s summary. In an academic setting, reading the abstract is a great way to grasp a paper’s main points before diving into the body.

What Is a Summary?

A summary, synopsis, overview, or informative abstract, is a condensed version of the source material . Summaries are written to save readers time by distilling the key points from longer works like books and articles.

Literature reviews are a subset of summaries that adhere to the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines. 

References and paraphrased text must adhere to the APA’s guidelines for citation. It is common practice for writers and students in the social sciences, business, and nursing to adopt the APA style when writing summaries.

The summary is meant to be a thorough representation of the main topic . To write a summary using the APA format, one should take a topic and divide it into a few more minor arguments or parts. Use the following guidelines to write a tremendous APA-style summary.

1. Correct Use of Terms

You should include basic information about the source you’re summarizing (author, title, etc.) right at the start of your paper. Then, zero down on the most relevant parts of the text to convey the gist of what was said.

The aim is to show your teacher that you’ve digested the material and can summarize its significance in a few carefully chosen phrases.

Experts suggest capping your summary at a quarter of the length of the original material. Summarizing is not the same as analyzing, reviewing, or criticizing.

Therefore, refrain from including your thoughts and feelings. Do not include any critical evaluations or counterarguments (unless such points are explicitly addressed in the original text). Pay attention to the meat of the text and address the author’s stated goals in doing so.

2. Voice and Perspective

Use simple, direct language and the present tense to write your summary. According to experts, a summary should use everyday vocabulary and plain language instead of clichés, figurative language, and technical terminology.

The APA dictates that you utilize the active voice instead of the passive one. So, verify that the subject of each of your sentences is performing the activity. Using the active voice and the present tense helps readers focus on the central idea.

3. APA Literature Review Style

The APA format is frequently used for literature reviews. A literature review is not the same as a book review or a critical analysis of a piece of writing.

Literature reviews provide a critical summary of what scientific literature says about your unique topic or question. A literature review requires demonstrating your knowledge of the subject and the context in which you should conduct your research.

When writing a literature review according to APA guidelines, you must include at the very least:

• A title page
• Opening paragraph
• List of references.

4. Use of APA in-Text Referencing Style

If necessary, reference specific passages within the body of your summary. Don’t use direct quotes or paraphrase unless doing so is essential to understanding the information.

Minimize the number of words used in your summary by being as concise as possible. Remember to give proper citations if you quote or paraphrase from another source.

The components of in-text citations required are the author’s last name, publication date, and page numbers in parentheses after a direct quote or paraphrase.

For example, the probability of gaining weight after 35 years and above varies from person to person. Some people don’t add weight, while others do (Stevenson, 1813, p.88).

5. References

The APA style dictates that you utilize a reference page to list the sources from which you pulled information for your summary.

References should be centered at the top of the page; however, it should not be bolded or italicized. The first line should be flush left, and subsequent lines should be indented to show alphabetical order based on the author’s last name.

Please double-space between each citation. The original text of the work being summarized may be the sole source necessary.

Knowing how to write a summary in APA style is a knowledge that can come in handy with many things, including writing research papers. By learning and practicing these skills, you will be able to showcase your academic prowess when you graduate.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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EDITORIAL: ONCOLYMPHOLOGY: IMMUNE INTERACTIONS AND CANCER

The proposed term “oncolymphology” encompasses the intimate relationship between cancer growth and the immune responses.

Keywords: Cancer, Immune Responses, Oncolymphology

Leong, S., (2023) “EDITORIAL: ONCOLYMPHOLOGY: IMMUNE INTERACTIONS AND CANCER”, Lymphology 56(1), 1-2. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/lymph.5870

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Published on 29 nov 2023, peer reviewed, creative commons attribution-noncommercial-noderivs 4.0, harvard-style citation.

Leong, S. (2023) 'EDITORIAL: ONCOLYMPHOLOGY: IMMUNE INTERACTIONS AND CANCER', Lymphology . 56(1) :1-2. doi: 10.2458/lymph.5870

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Leong, S. EDITORIAL: ONCOLYMPHOLOGY: IMMUNE INTERACTIONS AND CANCER. Lymphology. 2023 11; 56(1) :1-2. doi: 10.2458/lymph.5870

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Leong, S. (2023, 11 29). EDITORIAL: ONCOLYMPHOLOGY: IMMUNE INTERACTIONS AND CANCER. Lymphology 56(1) :1-2. doi: 10.2458/lymph.5870

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Nostalgia, Remembrance and Crises in an Evolving Streaming Media Industry

Author: Sheri Chinen Biesen (Rowan University)

Film & TV Review

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Chinen Biesen, S., (2023) “Nostalgia, Remembrance and Crises in an Evolving Streaming Media Industry”, Film Criticism 47(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/fc.5174

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Published on 28 nov 2023, cc-by-nc-nd 4.0.

As Guillermo del Toro unveiled his new Netflix film, an ambitious stop motion animated reimagining of Pinocchio , at the 2022 London Film Festival, he recalled seeing the classic 1940 Disney version with his mom as a child. The acclaimed director of Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Nightmare Alley noted the scary, daunting, unsettling world that Pinocchio cinematically portrayed. Cast against the dangerous rise of fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, del Toro admitted the 15-year project (with thousands of animators from across the globe) spanned half his career, insisting that animation is a complex art (rather than a kid’s genre), then emphasized that individuals should not have to change and obediently conform in the face of authoritarian regimes.

Guillermo del Toro and his set for Oscar-winning animated Netflix film, Pinocchio (2022).

The stylish Netflix production available to stream ‘on command’ was surprisingly even more impressive than the new live action remake of the earlier movie streaming on competitor Disney+. In fact, these streaming productions reveal a growing penchant toward nostalgia, remembrance and crises in a rapidly changing and evolving streaming media industry in the wake of three grueling, disruptive years of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, this decisive harkening back to the past coincides with immense transformation in the emergent new streaming media landscape amid the rocky fallout of corporate mergers, layoffs, losses and abrupt cancellations across the entertainment industry as various conglomerates try to sort out future streaming aspirations in a brave new world.

Other streamers also look back as they move forward. In addition to its vast library of Disney animated classics, Marvel movies and iterations of Star Wars from The Mandalorian to Andor , Disney+ also boasts musical hits such as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary Get Back . In fact, as del Toro’s Pinocchio was set to stream on Netflix, Elton John’s Final North American Concert, ‘ Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium ,’ recalling his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, was the first global live stream on Disney+.

Elton John at his 2022 Dodger Stadium concert performance streamed live globally on Disney+.

It was a lavish spectacular celebration of the British rock and roll icon and his music beamed digitally around the world fondly remembering Elton John’s historic 1975 Dodger Stadium concert.

Elton John striking a pose at his famous 1975 Dodger Stadium concert performance.

While commemorating the superstar’s career, the digital live stream included many celebrities and stars like Taron Egerton, who portrayed the iconic musician in the nostalgic fantasy film biopic Rocketman , dancing in the crowd with fans dressed in flamboyant Elton John attire. It was such an elaborate global streaming production that viewers may not have realized that the head of the media company who was supposed to introduce Sir Elton was fired just a few hours before the show (after Disney reported nearly $1.5 billion in streaming losses), and Bob Iger was brought back from retirement to run the sprawling media company of the Magic Kingdom.

Elton John performs at his 2022 Dodger Stadium concert, globally streamed live on Disney+.

It was an extraordinary cathartic musical moment of remembrance streamed live into the wee hours of the night on the East Coast as colleagues tweeted pictures from the event in Los Angeles. This melodic harkening back to the past was especially moving as famed piano legend Elton played “Funeral For A Friend” (on a day of remembrance further punctuated by millions having perished from the pandemic), and paid tribute to Aretha Franklin, Marilyn Monroe, then brought songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin, Kiki Dee and his family on stage. We were happy to be able to watch it and relive the music, excitement, experience and memories streaming on demand on Disney+ the next day.

Nevertheless, Hollywood industry trade press papers like Variety and media watchers projected a grim future as media conglomerates announced losses, layoffs and cancellations. In fact, in December 2022, the New York Times reported, “Streaming’s Golden Age Is Suddenly Dimming: After years of breakneck growth, the number of scripted TV series orders made by networks and streamers is in decline.” Media analyst John Koblin acknowledged that “a new reality has become increasingly clear over the past few months in Hollywood: Peak TV has peaked,” adding, “The never-ending supply of new programming that helped define the streaming era — spawning shows at a breakneck pace but also overwhelming viewers with too many choices — appears to finally be slowing.” i

In a town hall for Disney employees, Bob Iger described the cultural moment as ‘challenging times’ for the media industry, and insisted, “It’s not about how much we create, it’s about how great the things are that we do create.” Media reporter Brooks Barnes of the Times likened the admission to “a swipe toward the avalanche of content that Disney and other media companies have been dumping on streaming services to drive subscription growth.” In fact, in an era of cord cutting and rapidly declining broadcast and cable TV viewership, Iger frankly admitted to Disney employees, “If you look long term at the future of linear TV, it would be wise to be skeptical or pessimistic about it.” ii

Yet, does the sobering reality of ‘peak TV’ also suggest a possible trend towards ‘peak streaming’? In truth, I must admit the recurrent predilection among industry watchers toward conflating digital streaming new media and old school conventional television is indeed puzzling and perhaps a bit problematic. As linear TV viewership continues to decline, and especially in the wake of disruptive theater closures due to the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, streaming viewership had initially soared and media companies across the entertainment industry turned to launching their own expensive proprietary streaming services. This was a particularly costly endeavor for the media industry further complicated and compounded by Hollywood studios and TV networks (Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, AMC, Starz, et. al.) pulling content from more established streaming platforms like Netflix and thus losing huge revenue in licensing films and series to other streamers while also losing viewership from other streaming services.

HBO Max streaming original 2022 film Batgirl was canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Moreover, mergers and acquisitions among conglomerates in the media industry have further accelerated cost cutting, corporate losses and layoffs. After subsequent disastrous mergers with AT&T and then Discovery, for instance, Warner Bros. reported massive losses, changed corporate regimes and cancelled a litany of streaming programs for its flagship streaming service HBO Max, canned CNN+ streaming service, indefinitely shelved completed DC films for the HBO Max streaming platform like Batgirl , and even pulled the third sequel film of the Wonder Woman franchise from being produced. Likewise, by November 2022, AMC Networks reported huge losses (and large scale layoffs) for its AMC+ streaming service and the company’s CEO stepped down after just three months.

Despite these challenges, however, digital streaming media continues to thrive at companies like Netflix with impressive productions such as del Toro’s Pinocchio , the German film All Quiet on the Western Front , Robert Downey’s moving documentary Sr ., The Swimmers , Firefly Lane , a racy new British Lady Chatterley’s Lover film adaptation (that would presumably be a tad too risqué to stream on family friendly PG-13 oriented Disney+), Japanese production First Love (the top title in Japan and Asian markets), and record breaking Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan , the highest viewed documentary premiere ever in the streaming company’s history, which scored a whopping 81.55 million viewing hours in just four days and hit number one in Britain.

Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan was a smash streaming hit in 2022.

The intimate six part documentary was called a film by the New York Times and a limited series by the streamer as it looked back and relived the couple’s struggles with the British Royal Family and also remembered Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. Disney has indicated it intends to stream other live events like Elton John’s impressive Farewell Concert as the rock star ascends down the Yellow Brick Road . In this way, the nostalgia and remembrance and memories continue amid or perhaps despite crises in a rapidly changing and ever evolving streaming media industry landscape.

• John Koblin, “Streaming’s Golden Age Is Suddenly Dimming: After years of breakneck growth, the number of scripted TV series orders made by networks and streamers is in decline,” New York Times , 18 December 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/18/business/media/streaming-tv-shows-canceled.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare [ ^ ]
• Bob Iger and Brooks Barnes in Brooks Barnes, “Bob Iger, Acknowledging ‘Challenging Times,’ Meets With Disney Employees,” New York Times , 28 November 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/business/media/disney-bob-iger.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare [ ^ ]

Harvard-Style Citation

Chinen Biesen, S. (2023) 'Nostalgia, Remembrance and Crises in an Evolving Streaming Media Industry', Film Criticism . 47(1) doi: 10.3998/fc.5174

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Vancouver-Style Citation

Chinen Biesen, S. Nostalgia, Remembrance and Crises in an Evolving Streaming Media Industry. Film Criticism. 2023 11; 47(1) doi: 10.3998/fc.5174

Show: Harvard Citation Style | APA Citation Style

APA-Style Citation

Chinen Biesen, S. (2023, 11 28). Nostalgia, Remembrance and Crises in an Evolving Streaming Media Industry. Film Criticism 47(1) doi: 10.3998/fc.5174

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