You’ve just sat through a really powerful speech, and the words pretty much just fell into place with the paper you’re working on – now you’ve just got to figure out how to give credit where it’s really due. Getting to know how to cite a speech properly is pretty much the bottom line when it comes to academic integrity – after all, you want to be able to give a shout-out to the original thinker and make it easy for others to be able to go track down the source themselves. I mean, the process can seem pretty daunting at first – like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle blindfolded – but trust me, once you get the basics down its just second nature.
First, get all your key details together. You’ll need them no matter what citation style you’re using, and to be honest its kind of like a pre-citation checklist – sure its a bit dull, but it’s gotta be done.
- Speaker: The full name of the person who delivered the speech.
- Speech Title: The official title of the address. If it doesn’t have one, a descriptive title is the next best thing.
- Date: The exact date the speech was delivered.
- Location & Venue: The city and specific place where the speech occurred.
- Source Information: Where did you find the speech? Was it a live event, an audio recording on a website, a printed transcript in a book, or a video from a news article?
Tip: Keeping this information organized from the start will save you a headache later. A quick note in your research log does the trick.
Citing in APA Style
The American Psychological Association’s APA style is common in the social sciences. Its format prioritizes the publication date, highlighting the timeliness of research. When you cite a speech in APA style, the specific format depends heavily on how you accessed it. If creating citations feels like a chore, an online citation generator can be a lifesaver, automating the process for you.
For an audio recording of a speech you found online, the structure is straightforward. You’ll include the speaker’s name, the full date, the speech title in italics, a description in square brackets, the website’s name, and the URL. For instance, many historical speeches are archived on sites like American Rhetoric.
Kennedy, J. F. (1961, January 20). Presidential inaugural address [Speech audio recording]. American Rhetoric. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm
If you’re referencing a printed version, like George Washington’s famous Farewell Address in a book, the format changes to reflect the source. You’d cite it like a chapter in an edited book. Notice how the book title is a key element here. For more detailed guidance on these specific cases, the APA’s own blog offers excellent examples.
Washington, G. (1999). George Washington’s farewell address. In J. Brooks (Ed.), George Washington’s farewell address: Little books of wisdom. Applewood Books.
An in-text citation in APA style requires the speaker’s last name and the year. If you’re quoting, add a timestamp for an audio recording.
(Kennedy, 1961, 1:15) or (Washington, 1796/1999)
Citing in MLA Style
The MLA Style is the standard for humanities papers – and its format is surprisingly flexible. When you’re citing a speech in MLA style, you’re looking to give your reader a clear trail to follow. I recall the first time I ever had to cite a speech, and the sound of that speaker’s voice still rings in my ears – it was like they were speaking directly to me, filled with conviction – and that’s exactly what I wanted my citation to capture.
Here’s how to tackle a speech that you found on a website – and it’s pretty straightforward – you need to include the speaker, the speech title in quotation marks, the website title, the publisher name, the publication date, and the URL of the website. If you’re working with a transcript and there are other formats available, like an audio recording, then you should append “Transcript” to the end.
Washington, George. “George Washington’s Farewell Address.” The Avalon Project, Lillian Goldman Law Library, 2008, avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp. Transcript.
If the speech is from a book, your works cited entry will look a bit different, focusing on the book title and publisher details. The MLA provides its own guidance on how to cite a copy of a speech.
Washington, George. “George Washington’s Farewell Address.” George Washington’s Farewell Address: Little Books of Wisdom, edited by John Brooks, Applewood Books, 1999, pp. 1-30.
Chicago Style and Conference Presentations
Chicago style offers two systems: notes-bibliography and author-date. For speeches, the notes-bibliography format is common. The citation includes the speaker, title, location, and date the speech was delivered, plus information about where you found it. The Chicago Manual of Style’s Q&A is a great resource for tricky situations, like citing an out-of-copyright speech.
But what if the speech wasn’t a presidential address but a presentation at an academic conference? This is a unique case. You must cite the presentation by listing the presenter, the paper’s title, the conference name, location, and date.
| Source Type | Chicago Style Format Example |
|---|---|
| Live Speech |
1. Angela Davis, “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” (lecture, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, October 5, 2019). |
| Conference Presentation |
2. Sarah Jang, “Deconstructing Opposition in Coleridge” (presentation, NASSR 2019 Conference, Chicago, IL, August 8-11, 2019). |
The All-Important In-Text Citation
Knowing how to cite a speech in your bibliography is only half the battle. The in-text citation is where you connect your argument to the source. Each format has a slightly different rule.
- APA Style: (Speaker’s Last Name, Year) – e.g., (King, 1963)
- MLA Style: (Speaker’s Last Name) – e.g., (Washington)
- Chicago (Notes): A superscript number leading to a footnote/endnote with the full citation.
This brief text citation points your reader to the full entry in your works cited list or bibliography. For any specific formatting questions, from a basic speech transcript to a complex audio recording, consulting official guides or asking for help is always a good idea. You can find answers to many citation questions and ensure your work is impeccable.