{"id":305170,"date":"2021-03-19T13:23:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T12:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=305170"},"modified":"2022-06-28T09:39:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T07:39:02","slug":"cite-a-lecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/citing-sources\/cite-a-lecture\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Cite a Lecture | APA, MLA & Chicago Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

To cite a lecture or speech, you need an in-text citation<\/a> and a corresponding reference listing the speaker, the title of the lecture, the date it took place, and details of the context (e.g. the name of the course or event and the institution).<\/p>\n

The exact information included varies depending on how you viewed the lecture and what citation style<\/a> you are using. The main citation styles are APA<\/a>, MLA<\/a>, and Chicago style<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Citing a lecture in APA Style<\/h2>\n

In APA Style, you don\u2019t provide a formal citation for a lecture unless it is recorded or documented in some way. This is based on the idea that it\u2019s only useful to document sources your reader can actually access.<\/p>\n

Instead, you should usually just cite the lecture<\/a> as a personal communication<\/a> in parentheses in the text. State the lecturer\u2019s name (initials and last name), the words \u201cpersonal communication,\u201d and the date of the lecture.<\/p>\n

Citing a lecture as a personal communication<\/figcaption>(D. Jones, personal communication, September 28, 2011)<\/figure>\n

For a talk at a conference, you do provide a full reference entry and APA in-text citation. For example, a paper presentation<\/a> is cited in the following format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
APA format<\/th>\nAuthor name<\/span>, Initials<\/span>. (Year<\/span>, Month Day<\/span>\u2013Day<\/span>). Paper title<\/em><\/span> [Paper presentation]. Conference Name<\/span>, City<\/span>, State<\/span>, Country<\/span>. URL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APA reference entry<\/a><\/th>\nJang, S. (2019, August 8\u201311). Deconstructing the opposition of natural\/arbitrary in Coleridge\u2019s theory of language<\/em> [Paper presentation]. NASSR 2019: Romantic Elements, Chicago, IL, United States.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APA in-text citation<\/a><\/th>\n(Jang, 2019)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A different format is used to cite information from the lecture slides<\/a> themselves.<\/p>\n

Recorded or transcribed speeches<\/h3>\n

When citing a speech or lecture that you accessed as a recording or transcript, the format follows that of the source type that contains the speech (e.g. book<\/a>, website<\/a>, newspaper<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For example, the following is a citation of an audio recording of a speech hosted on a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
APA format<\/th>\nSpeaker last name<\/span>, Initials<\/span>. (Year<\/span>, Month Day<\/span>). Speech title<\/em><\/span> [Speech audio recording]. Website Name<\/span>. URL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APA reference entry<\/a><\/th>\nObama, B. (2009, January 20). What is required: The price and promise of citizenship <\/em>[Speech audio recording]. American Rhetoric. https:\/\/www.americanrhetoric.com\/speeches\/barackobama\/barackobamainauguraladdress.htm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APA in-text citation<\/a><\/th>\n(Obama, 7:15)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Citing a lecture in MLA Style<\/h2>\n

In an MLA Works Cited entry for an in-person lecture<\/a>, list the title<\/a> in quotation marks, with headline capitalization, and include the word \u201cLecture\u201d (or a more specific descriptive term) at the end of the entry.<\/p>\n

The MLA in-text citation just lists the speaker\u2019s last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
MLA format<\/th>\nSpeaker last name, First name. \u201cLecture Title.\u201d Course or Event Name, Day Month Year, Institution, Location. Lecture.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MLA Works Cited entry<\/a><\/th>\nJones, David. \u201cThe Causes and Consequences of the Spanish Civil War.\u201d 20th Century History, 28 Sept. 2011, Harvard University. Lecture.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MLA in-text citation<\/a><\/th>\n(Jones)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A different format is used to cite information from lecture slides<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recorded or transcribed speeches<\/h3>\n

When a lecture or speech is recorded or transcribed within another source (e.g. a website<\/a>, a book<\/a>), you should follow the format for the relevant source type, adding a descriptive phrase at the end of the Works Cited entry to clarify what kind of source it is.<\/p>\n

For example, the following is a citation of a speech in audio form from a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
MLA format<\/th>\nSpeaker last name<\/span>, First name<\/span>. \u201cSpeech Title<\/span>.\u201d Website Name<\/em><\/span>, Day Month Year<\/span>, URL<\/span>. Descriptive label<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MLA Works Cited entry<\/a><\/th>\nObama, Barack. \u201cWhat Is Required: The Price and Promise of Citizenship.\u201d American Rhetoric<\/em>, 20 Jan. 2009, www.americanrhetoric.com\/speeches\/barackobama\/barackobamainauguraladdress.htm. Speech audio recording.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MLA in-text citation<\/a><\/th>\n(Obama 7:15)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Citing a lecture in Chicago Style<\/h2>\n

In Chicago notes and bibliography style, you cite sources using Chicago style footnotes and corresponding entries in the bibliography.<\/p>\n

A bibliography entry for a lecture<\/a> you viewed in person lists the title of the lecture and the event or institution that hosted it. It also includes a descriptive label (e.g. \u201cLecture\u201d) to clarify the type of source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Chicago format<\/th>\nSpeaker last name<\/span>, First name<\/span>. \u201cLecture Title<\/span>.\u201d Lecture, Institution Name<\/span> or <\/span>Event Name<\/span>, Location<\/span>, Month Day<\/span>, Year<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chicago bibliography entry<\/a><\/th>\nJones, David. \u201cThe Causes and Consequences of the Spanish Civil War.\u201d Lecture, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, September 28, 2011.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chicago footnote<\/a><\/th>\n1. David Jones, “The Causes and Consequences of the Spanish Civil War” (lecture, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, September 28, 2011).<\/p>\n

2. Jones, \u201cSpanish Civil War.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A more specific label can be used if you\u2019re citing information specifically from the slides or lecture handout:<\/p>\n

Chicago PowerPoint citation<\/figcaption>Davis, William. \u201cAntisemitism in 19th-Century Europe.\u201d PowerPoint presentation, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 15, 2012.<\/figure>\n

Chicago also offers an alternative author-date citation style<\/a>; examples of lecture citations in this style can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recorded or transcribed speeches<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re citing a recorded or transcribed lecture<\/a> (rather than one you saw in person), the format depends on the type of source that contains it (e.g. book<\/a>, newspaper<\/a>, website<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For example, the following citation refers to an audio recording of a speech, hosted on a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Chicago format<\/th>\nSpeaker last name<\/span>, First name<\/span>. \u201cSpeech Title<\/span>.\u201d Recorded at Location<\/span>,\u00a0Month Day<\/span>, Year<\/span>. URL<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chicago bibliography entry<\/a><\/th>\nKing, Martin Luther, Jr. \u201cI Have a Dream.\u201d Recorded at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, August 28, 1963. https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/MLKDream?_ga=2.40689319.403758245.1621009795-1614779249.1621009795.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chicago footnote<\/a><\/th>\n1. Martin Luther King Jr., \u201cI Have a Dream,\u201d recorded at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, August 28, 1963, 1:15, https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/MLKDream?_ga=2.40689319.403758245.1621009795-1614779249.1621009795.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. King, “I Have a Dream,” 4:40.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Frequently asked questions about citations<\/h2>\n
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\n \n \n What are the main elements of a lecture citation?\n <\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/dt>\n
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\n \n \n How do I cite a source with no page numbers?\n <\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/dt>\n
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\n \n \n Which citation style should I use?\n <\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/dt>\n
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Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style<\/a> to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.<\/p>\n