Check the PDF file for its title, author and date. The first page of the document may be a title page. If not, look at the bottom of the pages, where you may see fine print with copyright information including the title, author and date.
Return to the file's parent site if you can't find the citation information in the file itself. The link to the file may mention the necessary citation information or be buried in a document that names the author of the piece.
Perform a Web search for the title of the PDF. Bookmark the PDF or search in a new tab or window to avoid losing the file. You may find another website mentioning the PDF's author or date.
Use the author and copyright date of the parent site if you cannot find the information anywhere else. If you can't find a copyright date, don't worry. It's possible to cite a website without a copyright date.
Type the author of the PDF in parentheses, followed by the copyright year of the PDF and the page number from which you drew the information. For instance, you might write, "If teachers use enabling texts in the classroom, unmotivated male students may become more motivated to read (Tatum, 2006, p.2)." If no publication date is available, type "n.d." in place of the year.
Type the year in parentheses after the author's name if you are mentioning the author in the sentence itself. Type the page number at the end of the sentence. For instance, you might write, "Tatum (2006) lists four qualities of enabling texts (p. 3)."
Use the name of a corporation or group in place of the author's name if the PDF was written by an organization rather than a specific author. Otherwise, cite the PDF as you would any other. For instance, you might write, "Students should take a year-long AP English course to prepare for the AP test rather than a semester-long class (The College Board, 2010, p. 9)."
If the organization has a common abbreviation, such as the YMCA or the WHO, spell out the organization's name the first time you type it, followed by the abbreviation in brackets: "The World Health Organization [WHO]." Use only the abbreviation in subsequent citations.
Type the author's last name, a comma, and first initial, followed by a period. If there are multiple authors, type all of their names with an ampersand before the final name. If the PDF has an organization as an author, type the organization's name followed by a period.
Type the year in parentheses, followed by a period. If there is no year on the document, type "n.d."
Type the title of the document in italics, followed by a period.
Type "Retrieved from", followed by the complete URL of the PDF. For instance, you would cite an article about the AP English test as follows:
The College Board. (2010). English Literature and Composition: Course Description. Retrieved from http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-english-course-description.pdf.
Cite PDF versions of books or journal articles just as you would for the physical versions of those sources. At the end of the citation, type "Retrieved from", followed by the complete URL of the PDF. For instance, you would cite an online journal article as follows:
Tatum, A. (2006). Engaging African-American Males in Reading. Educational Leadership 63(5), 44-49. Retrieved from http://www.kckps.org/teach_learn/pdf/group2/t_l6_engaging.pdf.