How do I cite a username in an APA reference?
Answer
If the source only lists a username (missing the author’s real name), provide the username in the author place on the reference. Here’s an example of a username-only situation for an APA image reference:
Swaminathan. (2008, March 21). Blue flowers [image]. Flickr.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/araswami/2355954647
Licensed under CC BY 2.0
Notice that you can also include license rights at the end of your reference!
If the source lists both the author’s real name and username, include them both! (Sometimes the author’s real name can be found on their profile page on the website.) In this case, the username will be listed in brackets in addition to the author’s real name. Here’s an example:
Meyer, A. [Nennieinszweidrei]. (2020, October 5). [Cat tongue photo]. Pixabay.
https://pixabay.com/photos/cat-cat-tongue-cat-eyes-mackerel-5628953/
Used under Pixabay license.
If a photo does not have an official title provided by the author, add a description of the work to the brackets with the format (like the example above).
For more on this topic, you can read the full entry on the author element on pages 286-287 of the APA manual (available to borrow free from the NTC Library!).
