How to Cite Social Media in Chicago Style
Learn how to properly cite social media posts and content using both Chicago citation systems.
Social Media Citation Overview
Social media posts are increasingly used as primary sources in historical and cultural research. Chicago style provides guidelines for citing various social media platforms, treating them as informal published sources with special considerations for usernames and timestamps.
Social Media Citation Elements
- • Author's real name (if known) or username
- • Content of the post (quoted or summarized)
- • Platform name
- • Date and time of post
- • URL or platform-specific identifier
Note: Social media posts can be deleted or made private. Consider including screenshots or archived versions for important research sources.
Twitter/X Posts
Notes-Bibliography System
Footnote/Endnote:
1. Patricia Williams (@pwilliams), "Democracy requires active participation from all citizens, not just during election years," Twitter, November 15, 2023, 3:42 p.m., https://twitter.com/pwilliams/status/1234567890.
Bibliography entry:
Williams, Patricia (@pwilliams). "Democracy requires active participation from all citizens, not just during election years." Twitter, November 15, 2023, 3:42 p.m. https://twitter.com/pwilliams/status/1234567890.
Author-Date System
In-text citation:
(Williams 2023)
Reference list entry:
Williams, Patricia (@pwilliams). 2023. "Democracy requires active participation from all citizens, not just during election years." Twitter, November 15, 2023, 3:42 p.m. https://twitter.com/pwilliams/status/1234567890.
Username Only (Real Name Unknown)
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. @democracynow, "Live coverage of the congressional hearing begins in 10 minutes," Twitter, November 20, 2023, 2:15 p.m., https://twitter.com/democracynow/status/9876543210.
Instagram Posts
Photo or Video Post
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Sarah Johnson (@sarahjhistorian), "Visiting the site where the 1963 March on Washington took place. History comes alive when you walk where it happened," Instagram photo, November 10, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF.
Notes-Bibliography bibliography:
Johnson, Sarah (@sarahjhistorian). "Visiting the site where the 1963 March on Washington took place. History comes alive when you walk where it happened." Instagram photo, November 10, 2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF.
Instagram Story
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. David Miller (@dmiller_historian), Instagram story, November 18, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/stories/dmiller_historian/1234567890.
Facebook Posts
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. American Historical Association, "Join us for a virtual discussion on the future of historical research in the digital age," Facebook, November 12, 2023, https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHistoricalAssociation/posts/567890123456.
Notes-Bibliography bibliography:
American Historical Association. "Join us for a virtual discussion on the future of historical research in the digital age." Facebook, November 12, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHistoricalAssociation/posts/567890123456.
Author-Date reference list:
American Historical Association. 2023. "Join us for a virtual discussion on the future of historical research in the digital age." Facebook, November 12, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHistoricalAssociation/posts/567890123456.
TikTok Videos
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Lisa Chen (@historywithchen), "Explaining the causes of World War I in 60 seconds #history #education," TikTok video, November 8, 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@historywithchen/video/1234567890123456789.
Notes-Bibliography bibliography:
Chen, Lisa (@historywithchen). "Explaining the causes of World War I in 60 seconds #history #education." TikTok video, November 8, 2023. https://www.tiktok.com/@historywithchen/video/1234567890123456789.
Author-Date reference list:
Chen, Lisa (@historywithchen). 2023. "Explaining the causes of World War I in 60 seconds #history #education." TikTok video, November 8, 2023. https://www.tiktok.com/@historywithchen/video/1234567890123456789.
LinkedIn Posts
Regular Post
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Robert Taylor, "The importance of digital literacy in modern historical research cannot be overstated," LinkedIn, November 16, 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/robert-taylor_research-history-digital-activity-7890123456789.
LinkedIn Article
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Jennifer Adams, "The Future of Historical Education in Universities," LinkedIn, November 14, 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-historical-education-universities-jennifer-adams.
YouTube Comments
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Michael Brown (@mbrown2023), comment on "The Civil Rights Movement: A Documentary," YouTube video, 12:34, posted by History Channel, November 5, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123&lc=DEF456.
Deleted or Private Posts
When citing social media content that may be deleted or become private:
With screenshot:
1. Patricia Williams (@pwilliams), "Democracy requires active participation," Twitter, November 15, 2023, 3:42 p.m., screenshot, https://twitter.com/pwilliams/status/1234567890.
Archived version:
1. David Miller (@dmiller), "Historical analysis of voting patterns," Twitter, November 10, 2023, archived at Wayback Machine, https://web.archive.org/web/20231110/twitter.com/dmiller/status/5678901234.
Live Streams and Stories
Instagram Live (Notes-Bibliography):
1. Sarah Johnson (@sarahjhistorian), Instagram Live stream, "Q&A about Civil War research," November 22, 2023, 7:00 p.m. EST.
Facebook Live:
1. American Historical Association, "Annual Conference Preview," Facebook Live, November 25, 2023, https://www.facebook.com/AHA/videos/123456789.
Hashtags and Trending Topics
Referencing a hashtag trend:
1. #HistoryMatters, Twitter hashtag, trending November 20-21, 2023, https://twitter.com/hashtag/HistoryMatters.
Common Social Media Citation Mistakes
- • Missing timestamps: Include specific date and time when available
- • Incomplete usernames: Include both real name and @username when known
- • Long post content: Quote selectively or summarize lengthy posts
- • Broken links: Check that URLs are working and accessible
- • Missing platform specification: Clearly identify the social media platform
- • Privacy concerns: Ensure posts are public and appropriately cited
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