How to Reference Mayo Clinic in APA Style
Referencing the Mayo Clinic in APA style depends on the specific source you're using. Mayo Clinic produces a vast amount of content, including website articles, news releases, videos, and even books. The format changes depending on the type of source. Here's a guide covering the most common scenarios:
1. Mayo Clinic Website Articles:
This is the most frequent scenario. Since webpages lack page numbers, you will not include them in the citation. Instead, you'll need the retrieval date.
Example:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, October 26). Stress management. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-management/art-20046037
Key Elements Explained:
- Author: If a specific author is listed, use that. If not, use "Mayo Clinic Staff" or a similar designation found on the page.
- Date: Use the publication or last updated date. This is often found at the bottom of the page.
- Title: Italicize the title of the article.
- Source: "Mayo Clinic"
- URL: Include the direct URL to the article.
2. Mayo Clinic News Network Articles:
These articles often have an author listed, and follow a similar structure to the website articles.
Example:
Smith, J. (2024, January 15). New research reveals link between diet and heart health. Mayo Clinic News Network. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/article-title
3. Mayo Clinic Books:
If referencing a book published by Mayo Clinic, use standard book citation format.
Example:
Grossman, M., & et al. (2022). Mayo Clinic on healthy aging. Mayo Clinic Press.
4. Mayo Clinic Videos:
Video citations require slightly different formatting, including specifying the video host platform (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
Example (YouTube):
Mayo Clinic. (2023, August 10). Understanding heart disease [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
General APA Style Reminders for Mayo Clinic Citations:
- Accuracy: Double-check all details—dates, titles, URLs—for accuracy. Inaccurate information is a common reason for citation errors.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in formatting throughout your entire bibliography.
- Retrieval Date: Always include the date you accessed the online source. This is particularly important for web pages as content can change over time.
- In-text Citations: Remember to cite Mayo Clinic sources within your paper using the author-date method (e.g., (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2023)).
If you encounter a unique type of Mayo Clinic source not covered above:
- Consult the official APA style guide: The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the definitive guide.
- Check the Mayo Clinic website itself: Their website might offer guidelines on how to cite their materials.
- Use a citation management tool: Tools like Zotero or Mendeley can help format citations automatically.
By following these guidelines, you can accurately and consistently reference Mayo Clinic sources in your APA style papers. Remember to always prioritize accuracy and consistency.
