How to Cite a PDF in MLA, APA, and Chicago

You’ve found the best source ever, but it is a PDF. Don’t overlook it just because you are unsure of how to cite this type of document. Find out how to cite a PDF in your references, no matter which style you are using.

Cite a One Author PDF

Setting up the citation in your references for a PDF is similar to an e-book or another digital document. However, depending on different variables, like number of authors, this can vary for each citation style. No matter what, you’ll include these basic elements:

• Author name(s)
• Title of the work
• Date of the work
• Creator
• URL or DOI
• Medium (optional)

Use these basic elements for any citation style. MLA 8 now uses a container system, which provides flexibility while using nine core elements.

APA Example:

 

MLA Example:

 

Chicago/Turabian Example:

 

Cite a PDF With Multiple Authors

Multiple authors will make the setup of your first section unique. How unique will depend on the number of authors.

APA Style

If there are seven or fewer authors, you include all the names with an ampersand (&) before the last author.

• Doe, J. B. & Dina A. B.

For PDFs with more than seven authors, you will include no more than seven authors with an ellipsis before the final author.

• Ann, A.B., Bam C. D., Verry, L. L., Harry, A. A., Stan, J. A., Thomas, S. T., . . . Roberts, L. H.

MLA and Chicago Styles

MLA format uses the word “and” before the last author in a list. For three or more authors, you’ll add et al. at the end.

• Two authors: Charles, Carl A., and Barry Jackson.
• Three or more authors: Charles, Carl A. et al.

No Author

Having an author is one thing. Sometimes, though, there isn’t an author for informational texts. Style guides dictate in this situation that the title becomes the first element.

Example – APA:

Example – MLA:

Example – Chicago:

Perfect PDFs

Citing PDFs can be hard. But with the right tools, you can cite these digital documents perfectly. Have fun perfecting your PDF citation.