How to Cite a Speech for My Works Cited Page

Citing speeches gives proper attribution if its information is used in a research paper.

A works cited page is the reference page found at the end of a document to credit the sources supporting the document's evidence or claims. Works cited pages are typically used with documents written in the MLA writing style. The Modern Language Association created these style guidelines for documents written in the Arts and Humanities disciplines. Speeches may be used to support an MLA document if the speech is cited properly on the works cited page.

Things You'll Need

• Name of speaker
• Title of speech
• Name of sponsoring organization
• Location of speech
• Date of speech

Instructions

1. List the citation elements for the speech on the works cited page. Place the speech in alphabetical order on the page, based on the speaker's last name, which appears first. Organize the details of the citation in the following order: speaker's last name, first name, title of speech, the name of the sponsoring organization, the location of the speech, including the site, the city and state, and the date the speech was delivered. When there is no title, or if the title is unknown, fill its place with an appropriate descriptor, such as Address, Lecture, Reading, Keynote Speech, Guest Lecture, or Conference Presentation. If the title is known, place the descriptor at the end of the reference instead, after the date.

2. Check the reference for improper quotations, italics, or underlined words. The title of the speech is enclosed in quotation marks. There are to be no italicized or underlined words. The font, style and font size should match the rest of the document. Note that while the title goes in quotation marks, the descriptor does not, even when used in place of an unknown title.

3. Place proper punctuation in the citation. Place a comma after the author's last name. Place periods after the first name, the title of the speech, the name of the sponsoring organization, the date and the descriptor. Place commas after the name of the site of the speech and the city. Place a period after the state in the location. Be sure to list the date in day month year format, without commas.

References

• Your Works Cited List
• Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide