Citing speeches in academic writing requires careful attention to the specific citation style—APA, MLA, or Chicago—each of which has its own set of guidelines. The APA 7th edition focuses on including details like the speaker’s name, date, and format of the speech, whether it’s an audio recording or a transcript. MLA style, on the other hand, emphasizes the type of source, such as a live event, transcript, or recording, and often uses more abbreviated book titles. Chicago style offers flexibility, with distinct approaches for footnotes, bibliography entries, and author-date citations, depending on whether the speech was attended in person or accessed through a transcript or recording. This guide explores how to accurately cite speeches across these three major citation styles, ensuring your references are both precise and properly formatted by following format guidelines.
How to Cite a Speech in APA: Essential Guidelines
Citing a speech in APA 7th edition can be challenging, especially when you need to support an argument or idea. For students majoring in Law or Political Science, referencing speeches is a common requirement. The APA 7th edition manual provides clear guidelines for creating accurate citations, but the approach depends on the type of speech and the format of the source.
To cite a speech, you should include the speaker’s name, the recording date, the speech title in italics, and specify the type of speech in square brackets (e.g., [Speech audio recording]). Additionally, include the website or platform name where the speech is accessible and provide the URL. Adding a timestamp for in-text citations can help your readers locate the specific part of the speech. Remember to include the publication date in your reference to ensure academic integrity and clarity.
Here’s a summary of the key points:
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Speaker’s Name: Start with the name of the person delivering the speech.
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Date of Recording: Include the date when the speech was recorded or delivered.
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Title in Italics: The title of the speech should be italicized.
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Speech Type in Brackets: Use square brackets to describe the type of speech (e.g., [Speech audio recording]).
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Source and URL: Mention the platform or website where the speech can be found and provide the URL.
By following these steps, you can ensure your APA citations are accurate and complete, allowing your readers to easily locate the referenced speech.
APA Speech Template
Speaker’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of your speech. [Speech audio recording]. Website’s Name. URL
APA Speech Reference
Luther King, M. Jr. (1968 April 4). I’ve been to the Mountaintop. [Speech audio recording]. American Rhetoric. https://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/History/-/Ive-Been-to-the-Mountaintop/16724
In-text
(Luther King, 1968, 2:17)
As for the other types and formats of a speech that can be cited in APA style, you may be dealing with a conference, a paper presentation, or deal with the personal communication source. Now, if you have to cite a TED Talk or something that has been uploaded to YouTube, you must use the referencing conventions for video citations since it is a different quote type.
Citing a Paper Presentation
When you are asked to cite a paper presentation that is related to an academic conference by turning to APA 7th edition style, you should use the following rules. Such presentations are often found in a book, especially in conference proceedings. Remember to include the date by stating the range of days as you can see below:
APA Citation Template
Author’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Year, Month Day-Day). Title of the Document [Paper presentation]. Conference Name, City, State, Country. URL
APA Citation Reference
Holmes, N. (2015, May 11-15). Social disparity and the challenges of the school attendance problem in Scotland [Paper presentation]. SSNCV 2015: Education in Scotland Open Conference, Aberdeen, UK.
APA Speech in-Text
(Holmes, 2015) Note:* when you have to cite a published conference that comes from an academic journal or a book that is available in print, the APA 7th manual recommends using the relevant citation rules for each specific source. Using APA how to cite a speech rules means that you should either choose the book citation style or the academic journal referencing system.*
Citing Speeches as Personal Communications
In certain situations, you may need to cite a speech that hasn’t been recorded or officially transcribed, such as a speech given at a private event. In these cases, APA style considers the speech as a personal communication. Since personal communications are not retrievable by your audience, they should only be cited in the text and not included in the reference list. Simply mention the speaker, the nature of the communication, and the date within your in-text citation.
Personal Communication Citation Example:
The subject of domestic violence in Chicago's suburbs has been researched in the speech (R. Barley, personal communication, June 4, 2022).
Citing a speech in APA format can be tricky, so if you need assistance, you might consider hiring a professional speech writer to ensure your citations are accurate and properly formatted.
How to Cite a Speech in MLA Style
When citing a speech in MLA style, the format depends on whether you accessed the speech live, via a transcript, or through a recording. Here’s a guide to help you cite each type correctly:
1. Citing a Speech You Attended:
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Format: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. Title of the Speech. Title of the Event, Date, Location.
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Example: Smith, John. The Future of Technology. Tech Innovation Conference, 5 May 2023, Silicon Valley Conference Center.
2. Citing a Transcribed Speech in a Book:
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Format: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Speech.” Title of the Book, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, page numbers.
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Example: King, Martin Luther Jr. “I Have a Dream.” Speeches That Changed the World, edited by Jon Smith, Penguin Books, 2020, pp. 45-50.
3. Citing a Recorded Speech:
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Format: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. Title of the Speech. Date of Speech. Title of the Website/Platform, URL.
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Example: Obama, Barack. Farewell Address. 10 Jan. 2017. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=obama_farewell.
These examples should help you accurately cite speeches in MLA format, depending on the source and context, and ensure you include the book title when citing transcribed speeches.
How to cite a speech in Chicago style
When citing contemporary speeches in Chicago style, it’s crucial to follow the correct format based on how you accessed the speech. If you attended the speech in person, include details about the event’s location and date. For transcribed or recorded speeches, the citation should match the format of the source type, such as a website or book, and must include the publisher name.
Understanding these distinctions ensures accurate citation, helping readers locate the original source of the speech. Let’s explore the key details and Chicago requirements for referencing speeches effectively.
How to Cite a Recorded or Transcribed Speech
When citing a video recording or online transcript, it’s essential to follow the correct format based on where you accessed the material. Start with the speaker’s name and ensure that punctuation and quotation marks are correctly used.
For a Transcript in a Book:
Use the standard book citation format, but begin with the speaker’s name instead of the book authors. Include the title of speech, title, page range, and chapter (if relevant), along with the book’s publication details. This approach provides a clear reference that aligns with the source type.
Example:
Bibliography:
Black, Jane. “The New Year Speech.” In Best Speeches, edited by Ronald Grey, 115-118. Newtown: Doe Publishers, 2022.
Full note:
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Jane Black, “The New Year Speech,” in Best Speeches ed. Ronald Grey (Newtown: Doe Publishers, 2022), 115-118.
Short note:
Black, “The Speech,” 115-118.
Citing a speech transcript found on a website
For this type of quote, it’s important to prioritize the speaker’s name over the website owners. While following the general guidelines of the Chicago style (which differ from those you follow to cite a speech in APA), emphasize the speaker.
Example:
Bibliography:
Obama, Barack. “A More Perfect Union.” Transcript of speech delivered at the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, 18 March 2008. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamaamoreperfectunion.htm.
Full note:
Barack Obama, “A More Perfect Union,” transcript of speech delivered at the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, 18 March, 2008, https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamaamoreperfectunion.htm.
Short note:
Obama, “A More Perfect Union”.
For historical speeches, such as George Washington's Farewell Address, you can reference the Avalon Project for the source. For example, in APA style, you would cite it as: Washington, G. (1796). Farewell Address. Retrieved from avalon.law.yale.edu 18th_century washing.asp.
Citing from a video on a website
Video presentations often provide condensed and valuable information for essays. Here is a sample of citing video content found on a website.
Example:
Bibliography:
Smith, Emily. "The Science of Climate Change." Lecture, Environmental Studies Seminar, University of California, filmed March 12, 2022. Video of lecture, 1:25:37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZ12345.
Full note:
1. Emily Smith, "The Science of Climate Change," Lecture, Environmental Studies Seminar, University of California, filmed March 12, 2022, video of lecture, 1:25:37, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZ12345.
Short note:
Smith, “Climate Change,” 1:23:35.
Citing a lecture you attended
You may need to reference a lecture, conference presentation, or public talk you attended. The format is relatively straightforward since no published materials are involved in this case. You should indicate the following information:
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name of the speaker;
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title;
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"Lecture" label;
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details about the institution hosting the conference (its name, location);
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date.
Example:
Bibliography:
Johnson, Lisa. “Globalization and Its Impact on Modern Society.” Lecture, Global Studies Seminar, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, March 5 2022.
Full note:
1. Liza Johnson, “Globalization and Its Impact on Modern Society” (lecture, Global Studies Seminar, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, March 5, 2022).
Short note:
Johnson, “Globalization.”
Citing speeches in Chicago author-date style
When asked how to cite a speech in Chicago style, many students are often interested in creating in-text quotes and a works cited entry using an author-date format. For that, it’s necessary to follow the pattern:
Bibliography:
Obama, Barack. 2008. “A More Perfect Union.” Transcript of speech delivered at the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, 18 March 2008. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamaamoreperfectunion.htm.
In-text citation in an author-date format:
(Obama, 2008)
The difference is that you need to add the year right after the author’s name.
Citing a speech: Chicago format for best academic papers
Accurately citing your sources is an essential aspect of any academic writing task. In this article, we’ve covered the essentials of citing speeches in Chicago style. We discussed the general rules and delved into specific formatting variations for different scenarios. To make your writing process easier and faster, we recommend using our Chicago style citation generator to create correct citations in one mouse click. Take advantage of our effective tool elaborated by EduBirdie specialists and complete outstanding academic papers in Chicago style! Citing a speech in Chicago style can be intricate, so if you're struggling with it, you might consider the option to pay someone to do my homework to ensure your citations are correctly formatted.
FAQ
What to do if the date is not indicated?
In cases where the lecture or conference you referenced does not have a listed date, you should use “n.d.” in your citation. This abbreviation means “no date.”
What are the formatting requirements if there’s no author mentioned?
When no author is indicated for the lecture or speech you quote, you can start your reference with the title. As for other details, follow the typical requirements when citing speeches or lectures.
