Speeches can provide a lot of great information, but citing them can be a difficult task. Fortunately, there are a few ways to cite that information. If you find the speech in a book, you can cite the book as an edited book using the correct writing style. Otherwise, you can follow the guidelines for citing speeches according to the style guide you use. You can also quote a speech in text the same way you would from any other source.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Use the MLA format
Step 1. Write the speaker's name starting with the last name
The last name will always come first. For more than one font, put them in alphabetical order starting with the last name. Put a period after the name. For example, suppose you heard a speech about building a robot by an engineer named Alex Weber.
- If the speech had two authors, sort them alphabetically by placing the last name of the first author. Then write the letter "y" and add the name of the second author. For example: López, Ana and Sam Robinson.
- If you found the speech in a book, you can format the citation for a book using the information from the book.
- You should start the date in the following way: Weber, Alex.
Step 2. Write the title of the speech in quotation marks
Use the title of the speech as it appears in the event program. It could also appear in speech materials, such as presentation notes. After writing it, put a period.
- For example, you might find Alex Weber's speech titled "Building a Robot."
- In cases where the speech does not have a name, you can annotate it by giving it an appropriate title. For example, Opening speech at the National Robotics Conference”. In this case, you will indicate to the audience that the information comes from an unnamed speech you heard from the author at the National Robotics Conference.
- For now, the quote would look like this: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot".
Step 3. Write the name of the event followed by a comma
This is the place where the speech took place. You should use the name of the conference, meeting, or other type of educational event.
- For example, Alex Weber could have presented at the National Robotics Conference, whose name you should use.
- If you are going to cite a master class, you can include the name and number of the course in this entry.
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot". National Robotics Conference,
Step 4. Add the name of the organization you are hosting followed by a comma
This is the group in charge of organizing the conference, meeting or event where the speech took place. For example, the National Robotics Conference could be organized by the Robotics Center.
- If it is a master class, use the name of the university.
- The quote should now look like this: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot." National Robotics Conference, Robotics Center,
Step 5. Include the date of the conference following the format of day, month and year
You should write the full name of the month instead of using an abbreviation. Use the date the speech was given, even if you've seen a recording afterward. Lastly, put a comma.
This is an example of the quote up to this point: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot." National Robotics Conference, Robotics Center, January 8, 2018,
Step 6. Include the venue along with the city where it is located
The venue is the place where the speech took place. For example, the conference could have been held at the George R. Brown Center in Houston, TX. Separate the place and city with a comma, and then put a period after entering the state.
- You do not need to include the city if it is specified in the venue name. For example, you don't need to specify Houston, TX if the venue is named Houston Civic Center.
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot." National Robotics Conference, Robotics Center, January 8, 2018, George R. Brown Center, Houston, TX.
Step 7. Complete the entry with the type of speech, such as a keynote or a lecture
Possible speech descriptions can be Keynote, Lecture, Lecture, Lecture Presentation, and Reading. The type of speech should be included in the conference or meeting program. Put a period at the end of the quote.
The final quote should look like this: Weber, Alex. "Build a robot." National Robotics Conference, Robotics Center, January 8, 2018, George R. Brown Center, Houston, TX. Opening speech
Method 2 of 4: Follow the APA format
Step 1. Find a transcript of the speech in a book or magazine
In the APA format, a speech itself is not cited. Rather, you should cite a transcript or video presentation of the speech. Start by looking for one in a book, magazine, website, or similar source. You can also check databases online.
- If you can't find a transcript, you can search for a video of the speech. Alternatively, you can find a book that uses excerpts from the speech or the sources the speaker used to support the material in the speech, which you can use in place of the speech itself.
- If you can find the transcript, you can cite the speech appropriately using the format of an edited book, article, or website.
- For example: Lamar, Amy. Influential speeches on robotics. Atlanta, GA: B&B Editorial.
Step 2. Start by typing the name of the author of a video or website
You should always write the author's last name first in alphabetical order. Put a period after the name. For example, suppose you found Malik Jackson's speech on surgical machine repair on the Center for Robotics website. In that case, you should write the following: "Jackson, Malik."
- This applies to both a recording of the speech and a transcript.
- If you found the speech on YouTube, you should start the quote entry with the name of the account that posted the video.
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Jackson, Malik.
Step 3. Include the year and month the speech was delivered in parentheses
Separate the year and the month with a comma. In some cases, this could be the same date the speech was delivered. However, the most useful date for the reader is the date the video was uploaded, which will help them find it in case they want to keep track of the sources you used. Finally, put a period after the date.
- For example, the Robotics Center could have uploaded Malik Jackson's speech on June 3, 2018, right after he presented it.
- Here's an example: Jackson, Malik. (2018, June).
Step 4. Write the title of the speech in italics
The transcript or video you cite should include the title of the speech. To help the reader find this source, please use the video title or transcript, as stipulated. Put a period after the title.
- If you watched a video of the speech, tag it as a video file after the title, as follows: [video file]. In this case, you must put a period after [video file].
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Jackson, Malik. (2018, June). Surgical machine repair [video file].
Step 5. Include the website where you retrieved the speech followed by a period
It is better to copy and paste the link to the website. Otherwise, you can write it on the References page. Begin the entry with "Recovered from" and then type the link.
The final entry can be viewed as follows: Jackson, Malik. (2018, June). Surgical machine repair [video file]. Retrieved from www.centerforrobotics.com/speeches/repairing_surgical_machines
Method 3 of 4: Quote by Chicago Style
Step 1. Enter the speaker's last name followed by their first name
On the References page, you should always start by including the last name. For example, the author's name Jane Ray would be written as: Ray, Jane. Put a period after the name.
- You can use the speaker's name first, no matter what type of font it is. However, the rest of the quote may vary depending on the source where you found the speech. If you found the transcript in a book, the rest of the quote should be in the format of an edited book.
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Ray, Jane.
Step 2. Put the name of the speech in quotation marks
The name of the speech must be included in the program of the event, the transcript or the title of the video. Put a period after it. For example, suppose you saw a speech called “Choosing Components for Robots” by Jane Ray.
This is an example: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots."
Step 3. After the title, capitalize the word “speech”
Put a comma after writing it. This will indicate to the reader that this source is a speech.
- If the speech was given in a lecture, you should label it "Class Discussion" instead of "Speech." You must also include the name of the course.
- For example: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots." Speech,
Step 4. Include the city and state where the speech was delivered
Write the city, but abbreviate the state. Separate them with a comma and then place another after the state name.
- Example: Houston, TX,
- At this point, the quote should look like this: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots." Speech, Houston, TX,
Step 5. Add the date of the speech, including the month, day, and year
This information should appear in the event program or in the speech transcript. End the entry with a period.
The entry should look like this: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots." Speech, Houston, TX, January 8, 2018
Step 6. Include the database if that is where you found the speech
If you used a research database to find a transcript or video of the speech, you will need to point this out to the reader. This way, you can use the same resources to find the source. Put a period at the end.
For example, the format should be as follows: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots." Speech, Houston, TX, January 8, 2018. EBSCO Database
Step 7. Add the name of the website and its address if you found it on the Internet
You can do this for the speeches you found after doing an online search. For example, maybe you found Jane Ray's speech on the Center for Robotics website. Put a period after the web address.
For example, you can write the quote like this: Ray, Jane. "Choosing components for robots." Speech, Houston, TX, January 8, 2018. Robot Science
Method 4 of 4: Create In-Text Citations
Step 1. Include the author's last name in the sentence
This is the easiest way to quote a speech in the text. You do not need to include other information if you use the MLA style.
- For example, you can write the quote as follows: "According to Weber's research, metal components can create more durable robots than plastic components."
- In APA style, you must also include the year in parentheses after the name. For example, you should write it like this: “According to Ray (2018), metal components are a better option than plastic components.
- In Chicago style, you can use endnotes to provide the rest of the source information.
Step 2. You can also add the author's last name in parentheses
If you don't want to cite the author's name in the sentence, you can include it after the information you're citing. In MLA style, you just put the author's name in parentheses.
- The passage can be seen as follows: "Studies show that metal components last 4 times longer than plastic components (Weber)."
- In APA style, you must also include the year after the last name, separating them with a comma. The sentence should look like this: (Weber, 2018).
Step 3. Use the last name of the author of the book in case you found the speech in a book
You will cite the book in the same way, but use the name of the publisher who compiled the speeches in it.
- For example, suppose Amy Lamar compiled several robotics speeches into one book, including Alex Weber's. In that case, you should include a parenthetical quote at the end of the information you took from Weber's speech, which would look like this: (Lamar).
- In the APA format, you must also include the year of publication after the author's last name, separated by a comma. For example, (Lamar, 2018). If you're providing a direct quote, include the page number as well. Make sure to separate each item with a comma. For example: (Lamar, 2018, p. 45).
- As previously stated, in Chicago style, you should use normal endnotes.