Online Forums ✏
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Reddit post
National Aeronautics and Space Administration [nasa]. (2018, September 12). I’m NASA astronaut Scott Tingle. Ask me anything about
adjusting to being back on Earth after my first spaceflight! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fagqy/
im_nasa_astronaut_scott_tingle_ask_me_anything/
Reddit comment
tothestarswereturn. (2018, September 12). Hey Mr. Tingle! I'm currently a freshmen in high school who aspires to one day become an astronaut,
and I [Comment on the online forum post I’m NASA astronaut Scott Tingle. Ask me anything about adjusting to being back on Earth after
my first spaceflight!]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fagqy/comment/e5v3f7m/
There are currently no specific APA guidelines for citing Slack or Discord communication. However, you can follow APA's general "four elements" guidelines.
(Who) Author(s): Provide the name or username of the author or sender of the Slack or Discord message.
(When) Date: Include the date the message was sent. Use the format: (Year, Month Day).
(What) Message title or description: Create a brief description of the message content.
(Where) Source: Provide the Slack Workspace Name or the Discord Server Name, the Platform, and the URL.
Slack example: If you're citing a Slack message sent by a user named Jim Williams on September 7, 2023, about a project update, the citation might look like this:
Williams, J. (2023, September 7). Project update [Message]. Slack Workspace Channel Name. Slack. URL
Discord example: If you're citing a Discord server related to a particular topic or community, it might look like this:
DiscordUser. (2021, September 7). Game strategy discussion [Message]. Discord Server Name. Discord. URL
Additional notes
Slack and Discord communication are typically private, so it may not always be appropriate to include direct citations from them in academic or formal research.
Use the author's real name when available (last name, first initial), followed by the screen name in brackets.
Use the screen name (without brackets) when the author's real name is unavailable.
When a post has a title, provide it in the title position, up to the first 20 words. Use italics. Count a link/URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word. Replicate emojis, if possible.
End with the platform name (e.g., Reddit) and the URL of the post.
Use this format for other online forums similar to Reddit.
In-text citations: Narrative citation - Name (Date); Parenthetical citation - (Name, Date).