Using a documentary in your research paper adds a vibrant layer of evidence, but citing it correctly is essential. Knowing how to cite a documentary properly ensures you give credit to the creators and helps you avoid plagiarism. It’s a straightforward process once you understand the basic components and how different citation styles organize them. This guide will walk you through the specifics for MLA, APA, and Chicago formats, making your writing process smoother.
TLDR: To cite a documentary, you need its title, director, production company, and publication date. The format of the citation changes depending on the style (MLA, APA, Chicago). For an in-text citation, MLA typically uses the documentary title, while APA and Chicago use the director’s last name and the year. Always check which style your instructor requires.
Core Components of a Documentary Citation
Before you can build your citation, you need to gather some key pieces of information. Think of it like collecting ingredients for a recipe. Most documentaries will provide these details near the beginning or end credits. A little bit of sleuthing on the film’s official website or a database can also help fill in any gaps. The core information you’ll need is the skeleton key to creating an accurate reference.
Regardless of the format you’re using, you will almost always need the following:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Documentary Title | The full, official title of the film. |
| Director | The person who directed the documentary. Sometimes there is more than one. |
| Production Company | The company or companies that produced and/or distributed the film. |
| Publication Date | The year the documentary was released. This is the year published. |
| Performers/Narrators | Key individuals featured in or narrating the film. This isn’t always applicable. |
| Medium of Publication | Where you watched it (e.g., Netflix, YouTube, DVD). |
A quick tip: If you’re streaming the documentary, keep the browser tab open so you can easily grab the URL if needed for your citation.
Citing a Documentary in MLA Format
The MLA format is common in the humanities and places a strong focus on the creators of a work. For a documentary, this means the citation often begins with the title. The structure is clean and designed to be easily readable in your Works Cited page. I remember the first time I cited a film for a history paper; I was so worried about getting it right, but breaking it down into parts made it feel like assembling a small, satisfying puzzle.
For your Works Cited page, the MLA format for a documentary citation looks like this:
“Documentary Title. Directed by First Name Last Name, Production Company, Year Published.”
Example: Blackfish. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Magnolia Pictures, 2013.
For an in-text citation in MLA, you simply use the documentary title in parentheses. If the title is long, you can shorten it. The goal of the text citation is to point your reader directly to the full reference on your Works Cited page.
Example of an in-text citation: The documentary reveals the complex issues surrounding killer whales in captivity (Blackfish).
This is similar to how to cite a movie, where the title takes center stage. For more guidance on MLA, the organization’s official style guide is an excellent reference.
Citing a Documentary in APA Style
The APA style is frequently used in the social sciences and prioritizes the publication date of a work. This is because timeliness can be very important in scientific writing. When you cite a documentary in APA, you’ll note that the director’s name comes first, followed immediately by the year. It has a certain gravity to its format, a no-nonsense approach that gets straight to the point.
Here is the standard format for an entry on your reference page:
“Director Last Name, F. (Director). (Year). Documentary title [Film]. Production Company.”
Example: Cowperthwaite, G. (Director). (2013). Blackfish [Film]. Magnolia Pictures.
The APA in-text citation includes the director’s last name and the year of publication. This text citation connects your sentence back to the full details in your reference list.
Example of an in-text citation: The film argues that captivity can have severe psychological effects on orcas (Cowperthwaite, 2013).
The American Psychological Association’s page on Film and Television References provides further examples. If you’re looking for an automated tool, a good citation generator can be a lifesaver for formatting these details correctly.
Citing a Documentary in Chicago Style
The Chicago style is versatile and used across many disciplines, particularly in the arts and humanities. It offers two systems: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date. For a documentary, the Notes-Bibliography style is common. The first citation in a footnote is detailed, while subsequent notes are shortened. The full bibliography entry provides all the information for your reader.
Here’s how to structure a bibliography entry for a documentary film:
“Director Last Name, First Name, director. Documentary Title. Place of Publication: Production Company, Year.”
Example: Cowperthwaite, Gabriela, director. Blackfish. N.p.: Magnolia Pictures, 2013.
The footnote format is slightly different. The first note for the source would look like this:
Example of a footnote citation: 1. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, dir., Blackfish (N.p.: Magnolia Pictures, 2013).
This attention to detail is a hallmark of the Chicago style, ensuring that anyone reading your work has a clear path back to the sources you used. You can find more specific examples, like for an educational movie, on the official Chicago Manual of Style website.
Special Cases: Streaming and Online Documentaries
What if the documentary you watched was on a streaming platform? The way we access media is constantly changing, and citation styles have adapted. When you cite a documentary from an online source like Netflix, Hulu, or even YouTube, you often need to include the platform’s name and sometimes a URL. For example, citing a YouTube documentary is a lot like citing other YouTube videos, but with a focus on the film’s specific production details.
MLA Example with Streaming Service: Blackfish. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Magnolia Pictures, 2013. Hulu, www.hulu.com/movie/blackfish-08hulu84-8939-4467-8848-b01637c7895f.
This additional information helps your reader locate the exact version of the documentary you watched, which can be important if there are different cuts or editions available. Mastering Citations means paying attention to these small but significant details.
What if I can’t find the director’s name?
If you cannot find the name of the person who directed the documentary, you can start the citation with the title of the film, similar to the standard MLA format. If another person, like a producer or narrator, is central to the work, you can begin with their name and role instead. The key is to provide enough information to identify the source clearly.
How is citing a documentary different from citing a feature film?
The process is very similar! The main difference is that with a documentary, the focus is on the director and production company as the primary creators. For a feature film, you might also include key performers. However, the basic structure of the citation across MLA, APA, and Chicago remains consistent for both types of films, making the skill of citing one easily transferable to the other.