How to Cite Social Media and Websites in a Malaysian Thesis
Knowing how to cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis using APA 7th edition is increasingly important as more research draws on digital primary sources — organisational social media posts, government agency websites, statistical portals, online reports, and social media content as data or evidence. APA 7th edition introduced substantially updated and expanded guidance for online sources that many Malaysian postgraduate students have not yet encountered.
This guide covers every type of online source you are likely to cite in a Malaysian thesis.
General Principles for Citing Online Sources
Before looking at specific formats for how to cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis, understand three general principles that apply to all online sources. First, include a URL or DOI for every online source — there is no need to write “Retrieved from” before the URL in APA 7th edition (this was required in APA 6th edition but is no longer). Second, include a retrieval date only for sources whose content may change over time (websites, social media profiles, wikis) — most dated publications do not need a retrieval date. Third, use the most specific URL available that leads directly to the cited content.
Citing Websites and Web Pages
The format to cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis for a web page with an identified author:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Site Name. URL
For a Malaysian government website with an organisational author:
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation. (2025, March 1). MyDigital blueprint progress report 2024. MDEC. https://mdec.my/…
For a website with no author and no date:
Title of webpage. (n.d.). Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
When there is no date (n.d.), include a retrieval date because the content may have changed since you accessed it.
Citing Twitter/X Posts
To cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis when the source is a Twitter/X post:
Author [@username]. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of the tweet [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
Example:
Ministry of Finance Malaysia [@KementerianKewangan]. (2025, February 15). Budget 2025 implementation update: RM2.4 billion allocated for digital economy initiatives [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/…
Citing Facebook Posts
The format to cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis for a Facebook post:
Author or Group Name. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of the post [Facebook post]. Facebook. URL
Example:
Bank Negara Malaysia. (2025, January 20). Financial stability review for the second half of 2024 is now available [Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/…
Citing YouTube Videos
To cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis when the source is a YouTube video:
Creator Name or Channel Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL
Example:
Khazanah Research Institute. (2024, November 10). The state of households Malaysia report launch 2024 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…
Citing LinkedIn Posts and Articles
For LinkedIn content in a Malaysian thesis, LinkedIn posts follow the same format as other social media posts. LinkedIn articles (longer-form content published on LinkedIn) are cited similarly to web pages, with [LinkedIn article] in square brackets after the title to identify the source type.
Handling Deleted or Archived Social Media Content
When you cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis and a post has been deleted since you accessed it, note this in the citation: add “Content deleted” at the end of the citation, or include a link to an archived version (from the Wayback Machine or a screenshot file submitted as an appendix). For research that uses social media content as primary data, including screenshots as an appendix is strongly recommended.
Conclusion
Knowing how to cite social media and websites in a Malaysian thesis correctly ensures that your digital sources are properly attributed and that readers can locate or verify them. The APA 7th edition formats for online sources are more varied than for traditional publications, but the underlying principles — author, date, title, and stable URL — remain consistent across source types. When in doubt about the format for an unusual online source type, consult the APA 7th edition manual’s chapter on online sources directly.
