apa citation lecture presentation

PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References

This page contains reference examples for PowerPoint slides or lecture notes, including the following:

• PowerPoint slides available online
• PowerPoint slides from a classroom website

Use these formats to cite information obtained directly from slides.

If the slides contain citations to information published elsewhere, and you want to cite that information as well, then it is best to find, read, and cite the original source yourself rather than citing the slides as a secondary source.

Writers creating PowerPoint presentations in APA Style should present information clearly and concisely. Many APA Style guidelines can be applied to presentations (e.g., the guidance for crediting sources, using bias-free language, and writing clearly and concisely).

However, decisions about font size, amount of text on a slide, color scheme, use of animations, and so on are up to writers; these details are not specified as part of APA Style.

1. PowerPoint slides available online

Jones, J. (2016, March 23). Guided reading: Making the most of it [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/hellojenjones/guided-reading-making-the-most-of-it

• Parenthetical citation : (Jones, 2016)
• Narrative citation : Jones (2016)
• When the slides are available online to anyone, provide the site name on which they are hosted in the source element of the reference, followed by the URL of the slides.

2. PowerPoint slides from a classroom website

Mack, R., & Spake, G. (2018). Citing open source images and formatting references for presentations [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@FNU. https://fnu.onelogin.com/login

• Parenthetical citation : (Mack & Spake, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Mack and Spake (2018)
• If the slides come from a classroom website, learning management system (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai), or company intranet and you are writing for an audience with access to that resource, provide the name of the site and its URL (use the login page URL for sites requiring login).
• If the audience for which are you writing does not have access to the slides, cite them as a personal communication .

PowerPoint slide references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.14 and the Concise Guide Section 10.12

APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Lecture/PPT

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How to cite from Blackboard?

If you retrieved lecture documents (not a journal article or an item available freely online) through a password protected portal such as Blackboard, you should not include the long URL from the Blackboard entry, instead use the homepage of Blackboard (i.e. Blackboard website: http://blackboard.gwu.edu).

NOTE: When citing online lecture notes, provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. [PowerPoint], [PDF] documents).

WRONG: Frank, B. (2015). Lecture 4: Psychophysiology [PowerPoint slides]. https://blackboard.gwu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content  listContent.jsp?course_id=_241832_1&content_id=_6002642_1

Important Note: This format would be used if you were citing a set of notes and/or documents from a lecture (e.g. PDF, Excel, Word document, or PowerPoint slides provided by your instructor).

Tip : Cite information from your own personal notes from a lecture as personal communication and refer to it only in the body of your essay. Follow the format examples for a personal communication available under the Interview section.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Lecture title [Format]. URL of website.

(Smith, 2010)

Butera, G. (2017). Lecture 4: Demystifying APA citation [PowerPoint slides]. George Washington University Introduction to Public Health Services Blackboard: http://blackboard.gwu.edu

What are the APA rules for citing references in PPT?

APA has rules to support clear and concise writing and attribution of work but there are areas where they do not have a specific rule - and PowerPoint is one of them.

See: APA Blog " Dear Professor...Your Students Have Questions We Can't Answer"

So how to include references in PPT?  Use the following best practices but please note you should ALWAYS check with your instructor on their APA citation style preferences for PPT.

Question : Should I include my references on each slide or at the end of the PPT?

• Answer: If you include your references on each slide your slide may become too busy with too much text.  This can be distracting to your audience. 
• Best Practice: Consider adding an in-text citation on the slide and include all of your references at the end of the PPT presentation.

Question: How do I cite an image, table and/or figure on a PPT slide?

• Answer: Use the same guidelines for citing  images/tables/figures in APA in a paper and include your references at the end of the PPT presentation.
• Best Practice: Always include the proper citation directly under the table/figure following APA rules. Use a smaller text size to avoid distraction/too busy slide. (See APA Blog: Navigating Copyright: How to Cite Sources in a Table.

Question: Should my references be double spaced or single spaced?

• Answer: Although APA does require references to be double spaced  you may exercise flexibility and single space the references.
• Best Practice: Use single space and a smaller font size but otherwise follow the APA citation format for references (i.e list in alphabetical order, indent
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How to Cite a Lecture | APA, MLA & Chicago Examples

Published on March 19, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 28, 2022.

To cite a lecture or speech, you need an in-text citation 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).

The exact information included varies depending on how you viewed the lecture and what citation style you are using. The main citation styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago style .

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Table of contents

Citing a lecture in apa style, citing a lecture in mla style, citing a lecture in chicago style, frequently asked questions about citations.

In APA Style, you don’t provide a formal citation for a lecture unless it is recorded or documented in some way. This is based on the idea that it’s only useful to document sources your reader can actually access.

Instead, you should usually just cite the lecture as a personal communication in parentheses in the text. State the lecturer’s name (initials and last name), the words “personal communication,” and the date of the lecture.

For a talk at a conference, you do provide a full reference entry and APA in-text citation. For example, a paper presentation is cited in the following format.

A different format is used to cite information from the lecture slides themselves.

Recorded or transcribed speeches

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 , website , newspaper ).

For example, the following is a citation of an audio recording of a speech hosted on a website.

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The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

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In an MLA Works Cited entry for an in-person lecture , list the title in quotation marks, with headline capitalization, and include the word “Lecture” (or a more specific descriptive term) at the end of the entry.

The MLA in-text citation just lists the speaker’s last name.

A different format is used to cite information from lecture slides .

When a lecture or speech is recorded or transcribed within another source (e.g. a website , a book ), 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.

For example, the following is a citation of a speech in audio form from a website.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style, you cite sources using Chicago style footnotes and corresponding entries in the bibliography.

A bibliography entry for a lecture 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. “Lecture”) to clarify the type of source.

A more specific label can be used if you’re citing information specifically from the slides or lecture handout:

Chicago also offers an alternative author-date citation style ; examples of lecture citations in this style can be found here .

When you’re citing a recorded or transcribed lecture (rather than one you saw in person), the format depends on the type of source that contains it (e.g. book , newspaper , website ).

For example, the following citation refers to an audio recording of a speech, hosted on a website.

The main elements included in a lecture citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name of the speaker, the lecture title, the date it took place, the course or event it was part of, and the institution it took place at.

For transcripts or recordings of lectures/speeches, other details like the URL, the name of the book or website , and the length of the recording may be included instead of information about the event and institution.

When you want to cite a specific passage in a source without page numbers (e.g. an e-book or website ), all the main citation styles recommend using an alternate locator in your in-text citation . You might use a heading or chapter number, e.g. (Smith, 2016, ch. 1)

In APA Style , you can count the paragraph numbers in a text to identify a location by paragraph number. MLA and Chicago recommend that you only use paragraph numbers if they’re explicitly marked in the text.

For audiovisual sources (e.g. videos ), all styles recommend using a timestamp to show a specific point in the video when relevant.

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

• APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
• MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
• Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2022, June 28). How to Cite a Lecture | APA, MLA & Chicago Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/cite-a-lecture/

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In-Text Citation or Reference List?

Handouts distributed in class and presentation slides such as PowerPoint should be cited both in-text and on the Reference list.

Your own notes from lectures are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the Reference list.

Presentation Slides from a Website

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Date). Title of presentation  [Lecture notes, PowerPoint Slides, etc.]. Publisher. URL

Kunka, J. L. (n.d.). Conquering the comma [PowerPoint presentation]. Purdue Online Writing Lab. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/index.html#presentations

Presentation Slides from WebCampus (Canvas)

Instructor, I. I. (Year Presentation Was Created).  Title of presentation  [PowerPoint presentation]. WebCampus. URL

Graham, J. (2013).  Introduction: Jean Watson  [PowerPoint presentation]. WebCampus. https://unr.instructure.com/login/canvas

Note : The first letter of the word Watson is capitalized as it is part of a person's name.

Class Handouts from WebCampus (Canvas)

Instructor, I. I. (Year Handout Was Created if known).  Title of handout  [Class handout]. WebCampus. URL

Magowan , A. (2013).  Career resources at the library   [Class handout]. WebCampus. https://unr.instructure.com/login/canvas

Class Handout in Print

Instructor, I. I. (Year Handout Was Created if known).  Title of handout  [Class handout]. University Name, Course code.

Wood, D. (2013).  Laboratory safety overview  [Class handout]. University of Nevada, Reno,  BIO173.

Class Lectures (Notes from)

Note : Your own notes from a lecture are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the Reference list. Put the citation right after a quote or paraphrased content from the class lecture.

(I. I. Instructor who gave lecture, personal communication, Month Day, Year lecture took place)

"Infections are often contracted while patients are recovering in the hospital" (J. D. Black, personal communication, May 30, 2012).

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Citing Sources in PowerPoint Slides

• PowerPoint - In-text Citations
• PowerPoint - References List

Note:  APA does not have specific rules about the format of PowerPoint slides.  Rasmussen University does have recommended guidelines outlined below and in the attached PPT presentation.

PowerPoint slides  may   need citations, depending on what type of information is included on the slide.

If the text on a slide is a quote (someone else's words, verbatim) or someone else's ideas in the presenter's own words, then a citation is needed.

If the text placed on a slide is simply a word or phrase that represents a topic that the presenter will be discussing in greater detail, then a citation is not needed.

The table below includes two PowerPoint slides (left side). The column on the right tells whether or not the information would need to be cited and why.

Speaker Notes:  Some assignments require text in the Speaker Notes area of the PowerPoint slide. If information from a source is quoted, summarized, or paraphrased in that area, an in-text citation and reference will likely be required. Ask your instructor for clarification.

• Presentations & APA Citation Style at Rasmussen University Great resource to share with students if they are having struggles with APA in PPTs.

PowerPoint Slides - References

There are two ways to include the Reference list in your presentation:

• Coordinating reference lists are typically handed out during or after the presentation either in print if presenting in person, or electronically if presenting online. This is the preferred method of including a Reference list of the sources cited in your slide deck.
• Include a Reference list in the last slide of the presentation. This is an acceptable method if there are not many resources to include. Avoid adding so many resources to the list that the type is not legible to those attending the presentation

Creating the Reference List Slide

• If you use outside sources in your presentation (noted in your in-text citations), you must cite those sources on a References page/slide.
• Your Reference page can be created in NoodleTools, exported to Microsoft Word, and distributed or submitted with your slides to those who attend your presentation. Ask your instructor if they would like a Reference slide as the last slide of your presentation. Note that you may need more than one slide depending on how many references are needed.

See the slide deck below for more information.

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Lecture notes and slides eg. Powerpoint - Blackboard

Lecture notes and slides eg. powerpoint - online.

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How to Cite a Lecture Slide in APA

Last Updated: December 21, 2023

Listing References

Creating in-text citations.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 32,440 times. Learn more...

If you want to use the slides from a lecture as a source in a research paper, include an in-text citation at the end of every sentence in which you quote or paraphrase that slide, as well as a full citation in your Reference List at the end of your paper. If you're using the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style, you have 2 options when citing a lecture slide, depending on whether the lecture slides are publicly available. [1] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• If you retrieved the slides from a class website, such as Canvas, that requires a password to access, you would normally still include a Reference List entry. A reader could contact the author of the slides for access.
• If you have a downloaded copy of the slides but they aren't available to the general public, you would still normally cite them as personal communication. Check with your instructor or advisor to see if they would like for you to attach a copy of the slides to your paper as an appendix.

• Example: McGonagall, M.

• Example: McGonagall, M. (2018).

• Example: McGonagall, M. (2018). A guide to advanced transfiguration [PowerPoint slides].
• If the slides were saved in a different format, use the name of that format. For example, if the lecturer used Apple Keynote, you would list the format as "[Keynote slides]." If the slides were saved in document format, list the format of the document followed by the word "document," such as "[PDF document]" or [Word document]."

• Website example: McGonagall, M. (2018). A guide to advanced transfiguration [PowerPoint slides]. https://www.hogwarts.edu/transfiguration/slides/chapter_4
• Canvas example: McGonagall, M. (2018). A guide to advanced transfiguration [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from WebCampus.

Reference List Format:

Author, A. (Year). Lecture title in sentence case [Format]. URL

• For example, you might write: Although people usually consider dark arts the most dangerous, transfiguration has landed more Hogwarts students in the hospital (M. McGonagall, personal communication, May 4, 2018).

• For example, you might write: Transfiguration is not only one of the most difficult and complex skills mastered by Hogwarts students, but also one of the most dangerous (McGonagall, 2018).

• For example, you might write: McGonagall (2018) noted that it would be a mistake not to take the inherent danger in transfiguration seriously.

• For example, you might write: Advanced transfiguration spells are attempted only by the top students at Hogwarts (McGonagall, 2018, slide 4).

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa6_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_apa_faqs.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa6_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/APA/lecture
• ↑ https://purdueglobalwriting.center/apa-style-formatting-in-powerpoint/

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Powerpoint presentations - what do i need to cite, powerpoint presentations - where do my citations go, other digital assignments - where do my citations go, quick rules for an apa reference list.

Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in the text of the paper. Here are nine quick rules for this Reference list.

• Start a new page for your Reference list. Centre the title, References, at the top of the page.
• Double-space the list.
• Start the first line of each reference at the left margin; indent each subsequent line five spaces (a hanging indent).
• Put your list in alphabetical order. Alphabetize the list by the first word in the reference. In most cases, the first word will be the author’s last name. Where the author is unknown, alphabetize by the first word in the title, ignoring the words a, an, the.
• For each author, give the last name followed by a comma and the first (and middle, if listed) initials followed by periods.
• Italicize the titles of these works: books, audiovisual material, internet documents and newspapers, and the title and volume number of journals and magazines.
• Do not italicize titles of most parts of works, such as: articles from newspapers, magazines, or journals / essays, poems, short stories or chapter titles from a book / chapters or sections of an Internet document.
• In titles of non-periodicals (books, videotapes, websites, reports, poems, essays, chapters, etc), capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, and all proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations, nationalities).
• If a web source (not from the library) is not a stable archived version, or you are unsure whether it is stable, include a statement of the accessed date before the link.

What am I legally required to cite in my digital assignment?

According to the Copyright Act, you must cite the sources (images, videos, books, websites, etc.) that you used in your digital assignment ( 29.21(1)(b) ). You must cite the source (where you got the information from) and the creator of the content (if available). You must also make sure that any copyrighted materials you used in your assignment meet the conditions set out in section  29.21  of the Copyright Act. For a list of conditions and more information, please visit:  http://studentcopyright.wordpress.com/mashups/

What citation style do I use for the sources in my digital assignment?

There is no one required citation style, so please defer to your instructor's directions and citation style preference.

List your sources in a slide at the end of the Powerpoint presentation, with footnotes throughout your presentation as applicable.

You could also provide a print copy of the sources you used to those attending your presentation.

Seneca Libraries has the following recommendations for how to organize your list of sources for digital assignments. Please check with your instructor first:

Videos you create: 

List your sources in a credits screen at the end of the video.

Websites you create:

• For images, include a citation under each image using this format “From: XXXX” and then make the image a link back to the original image ( example  - picture of little girl). Or list the citation at the bottom of the web page.
• For quotes or material from other sources, include an in-text citation that links back to the original material ( example  – second paragraph).

Images you create: 

If possible list your sources at the bottom or side of the image ( example ). Otherwise, include a list of citations alongside the image wherever it’s uploaded (e.g. Flickr, Blackboard).

**Please note that the above are recommendations only and your instructor may have a preference and directions for how and where you list your sources for your assignment.**

If you don't receive specific instructions from your instructor, try to include your citations in a way that doesn't impact the design of your digital assignment.

For more information please contact Seneca Libraries copyright team at  [email protected]

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Citations - APA: Class Notes, Class Lectures and Presentations

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Class Lectures (Notes From)

Course packs.

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

In-Text Citation or References List

Handouts distributed in class and presentation slides such as Powerpoint should be cited both in-text and on the References list.

Your own notes from lectures are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the References list.

Presentation Slides from Canvas

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Intial if given. (Year Presentation Was Created).  Title of presentation: Subtitle if any  [PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved from URL from Canvas 

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Presentation Was Created).  Title of presentation: Subtitle if any  [PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved from Name of Website if given: URL

Class Handouts from Canvas

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Intial if given. (Year Handout Was Created if known).  Title of handout: Subtitle if any  [Class handout]. Retrieved from URL for Canvas

Class Handout in Print

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Intial if given. (Year Handout Was Created if known).  Title of handout: Subtitle if any  [Class handout]. City Course is Located in: College Name, Course Name.

Any material that is only available in person (as in, you had to be in class in order to have this material handed to you, or it was sent via email) is regarded as personal communication, and should be cited as such.

However, if you believe the hand-out is essential course material and your lecturer would expect you to cite it just like you would cite something uploaded to Canvas, you can use the following format:

Note : Your own notes from a lecture are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the References list. Put the citation right after a quote or paraphrased content from the class lecture.

(First Initial of Faculty Who Gave Lecture. Second Initial if known. Last Name, personal communication, Month Day, Year lecture took place)

Author of chapter/article’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication of Course Pack). Title of chapter or article from course pack. In First Initial. Last Name of Instructor Who Created Course Pack if Listed (Comp.), Title of course pack often starts with the course code (pp. first page of reading-last page of reading). City Course taken in: College Name.

Note :  Comp. stands for "Compiler". For course packs made by LAHC, we recommend using Wilmington as the place of publication.

This guide is used/adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries.

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How to cite a lecture in apa (7th edition), published by steve tippins on june 23, 2020 june 23, 2020.

Last Updated on: 6th February 2024, 03:50 am

When writing your dissertation or other academic papers, you may have to cite a lecture in APA. Keep these guidelines handy and you will have no problem citing a lecture that your professor delivers.  

Personal lecture notes

The easiest guideline to remember is how to cite a lecture in APA from your own personal notes. 

Lecture notes you take in a live online or face-to-face class are considered personal communication. They are personal communication, because they do not exist in any other  recorded or print format.  

In-text citation 

(Professor’s first initial. Last name, personal communication, date of lecture)

(S. Graham, personal communication, June 17, 2020)

S. Graham (personal communication, June 17, 2020) explained six ways that one can distinguish between interpretation and evidence. 

According to S. Graham (personal communication, June 17, 2020), “there are six ways that one can distinguish between interpretation and evidence.” 

Note: You only need to cite personal communication in-text, and do not have to put it in the References list.

Lecture in online learning management system (LMS) course

A professor’s lecture in a course conducted in an LMS platform may be recorded. To cite a lecture in APA for this type of format, you will need to put the source in the References list.

In-text citation

(Professor’s last name, date of lecture, if no date, n.d.)

(Jimenez, June 17, 2020)

Paraphrase 

According to Jimenez (2017), the first Kuru epidemic occurred in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea among the Fore tribespeople.

Jimenez (2017) stated symptoms of the Kuru disease were “involuntary movements or tremors, difficulty eating that results in malnutrition, personality changes, and dementia.”

Reference list

Professor’s last name, Initial of first name. year, month and day of lecture. Lecture title in italics [Lecture recording]. Type of LMS platform. URL of LMS login page. 

Jimenez, S. (2020, June 17). The Kuru pandemic [Lecture recording]. Blackboard@CR University. https://classes.CRUniv.edu

Lecture on PowerPoint 

To cite a lecture in APA when your professor delivers it via PowerPoint is easy once you have mastered the previous two guidelines. 

(Professor’s last name, year)

(Hayward, 2020)

The epidemic known as “dancing mania” or the dancing plague broke out during the Middle Ages (Hayward, 2020).

According to Hayward (2020), “there are many chronicles written about scourges of uncontrollable dancing among the population living along the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.”

Professor’s last name, Initial of first name. Year, if no date, then n.d. Title of the PowerPoint presentation in italics [PowerPoint slides]. Type of LMS platform. URL of LMS login page.  

Hayward, D. (2020). Dancing mania epidemic [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@CR University. https://classes.CRUniv.edu

PowerPoint slides online

Your professor may post the PowerPoint lecture online, rather than on the course website. To cite a lecture in APA for this type of lecture, you will follow the guidelines for citing a PowerPoint lecture above, but with a minor difference in how it is written in the References list. 

Last name of professor, Initial of first name. Year of publication, if no date, then n.d. Title of PowerPoint in italics [PowerPoint slides]. URL of PowerPoint. 

Knapp, G. (2020). Methylmercury poisoning in Japan [PowerPoint slides]. https://www. net/health-sciences-methylmercury-poisoning

​ Note: You can find more information about how to cite a lecture in APA 7 th edition in section 8.8 and page 347 of the Manual. 

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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APA 7 Citation Format

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APA Citation Guide: Class Notes, Lectures & Presentations

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Presentation slides from brightspace.

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Class Handouts from Brightspace

Class handouts in print, class lectures & individual notes, how to cite from brightspace.

If you retrieved lecture documents  (not a journal article or an item available freely online)  through a password protected portal such as Brightspace, you should  not  include the long URL from the Brightspace entry, instead use the homepage of Brightspace (i.e. Brightspace website: http://brightspace.liu.edu).

When citing online lecture notes, provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. [PowerPoint], [PDF], [Excel]).

Frank, B. (2021). Lecture 4: Psychophysiology [PowerPoint presentation]. George Washington University, Basics of Psychophysiology. Brightspace: http://brightspace.liu.edu

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Presentation was Created).  Title of presentation: Subtitle if any  [PowerPoint presentation]. Brightspace. URL

PowerPoint Presentation Slides from a Website

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Presentation was Created).  Title of presentation: Subtitle if any  [PowerPoint presentation]. Name of Website if given. URL

Note about hyperlinks:

It is acceptable for hyperlinks to be blue and underlined (live) or black without underlining.

All hyperlinks must include https://

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Handout was Created if known).  Title of handout: Subtitle if any  [Class handout]. Brightspace. URL

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Handout was Created if known).  Title of handout: Subtitle if any  [Class handout]. LIU Post, Course code.

Your own notes from a lecture are considered personal communications in APA style.

They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the References list . Put the citation right after a quote or paraphrased content from the class lecture.

(First Initial of Faculty Who Gave Lecture. Second Initial if known. Last Name, personal communication, Month Day, Year lecture took place)

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Class Notes, Lectures, and Presentations

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Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Presentation Slides from Canvas/Course Page

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Presentation Was Created). Title of presentation: Subtitle if any [PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved from My.Seneca.

Class Lectures (Notes From)

Note : Your own notes from a lecture are considered personal communications in APA style. They are cited within the text of your assignment, but do not get an entry on the References list. Put the citation right after a quote or paraphrased content from the class lecture.

(First Initial of Faculty Who Gave Lecture. Second Initial if known. Last Name, personal communication, Month Day, Year lecture took place)

Class Handout In Print

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Handout Was Created if known). Title of handout: Subtitle if any [Class handout]. City Course is Located in, ON: Seneca College, Course code.

Class Handouts from Moodle/Course Page

Instructor's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Handout Was Created if known). Title of handout: Subtitle if any [Class handout]. Retrieved from My.Seneca

Powerpoint Presentation Slides from a Website

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Year Presentation Was Created). Title of presentation: Subtitle if any [PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved from Name of Website if given: URL

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Cite a Lecture

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources

How to Cite Sources

Here is a complete list for how to cite sources. Most of these guides present citation guidance and examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago.

If you’re looking for general information on MLA or APA citations , the EasyBib Writing Center was designed for you! It has articles on what’s needed in an MLA in-text citation , how to format an APA paper, what an MLA annotated bibliography is, making an MLA works cited page, and much more!

MLA Format Citation Examples

The Modern Language Association created the MLA Style, currently in its 9th edition, to provide researchers with guidelines for writing and documenting scholarly borrowings.  Most often used in the humanities, MLA style (or MLA format ) has been adopted and used by numerous other disciplines, in multiple parts of the world.

MLA provides standard rules to follow so that most research papers are formatted in a similar manner. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the information. The MLA in-text citation guidelines, MLA works cited standards, and MLA annotated bibliography instructions provide scholars with the information they need to properly cite sources in their research papers, articles, and assignments.

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Documentary
• Encyclopedia
• Google Images
• Kindle Book
• Memorial Inscription
• Museum Exhibit
• Painting or Artwork
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Sheet Music
• Thesis or Dissertation
• YouTube Video

APA Format Citation Examples

The American Psychological Association created the APA citation style in 1929 as a way to help psychologists, anthropologists, and even business managers establish one common way to cite sources and present content.

APA is used when citing sources for academic articles such as journals, and is intended to help readers better comprehend content, and to avoid language bias wherever possible. The APA style (or APA format ) is now in its 7th edition, and provides citation style guides for virtually any type of resource.

Chicago Style Citation Examples

The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes ) or at the end of a paper (endnotes).

The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but the Turabian style is geared towards student published papers such as theses and dissertations, while the Chicago style provides guidelines for all types of publications. This is why you’ll commonly see Chicago style and Turabian style presented together. The Chicago Manual of Style is currently in its 17th edition, and Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is in its 8th edition.

Citing Specific Sources or Events

• Declaration of Independence
• Gettysburg Address
• Martin Luther King Jr. Speech
• President Obama’s Farewell Address
• President Trump’s Inauguration Speech
• White House Press Briefing

Additional FAQs

• Citing Archived Contributors
• Citing a Blog
• Citing a Book Chapter
• Citing a Source in a Foreign Language
• Citing an Image
• Citing a Song
• Citing Special Contributors
• Citing a Translated Article
• Citing a Tweet

6 Interesting Citation Facts

The world of citations may seem cut and dry, but there’s more to them than just specific capitalization rules, MLA in-text citations , and other formatting specifications. Citations have been helping researches document their sources for hundreds of years, and are a great way to learn more about a particular subject area.

Ever wonder what sets all the different styles apart, or how they came to be in the first place? Read on for some interesting facts about citations!

1. There are Over 7,000 Different Citation Styles

You may be familiar with MLA and APA citation styles, but there are actually thousands of citation styles used for all different academic disciplines all across the world. Deciding which one to use can be difficult, so be sure to ask you instructor which one you should be using for your next paper.

2. Some Citation Styles are Named After People

While a majority of citation styles are named for the specific organizations that publish them (i.e. APA is published by the American Psychological Association, and MLA format is named for the Modern Language Association), some are actually named after individuals. The most well-known example of this is perhaps Turabian style, named for Kate L. Turabian, an American educator and writer. She developed this style as a condensed version of the Chicago Manual of Style in order to present a more concise set of rules to students.

3. There are Some Really Specific and Uniquely Named Citation Styles

How specific can citation styles get? The answer is very. For example, the “Flavour and Fragrance Journal” style is based on a bimonthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1985 by John Wiley & Sons. It publishes original research articles, reviews and special reports on all aspects of flavor and fragrance. Another example is “Nordic Pulp and Paper Research,” a style used by an international scientific magazine covering science and technology for the areas of wood or bio-mass constituents.

4. More citations were created on  EasyBib.com  in the first quarter of 2018 than there are people in California.

The US Census Bureau estimates that approximately 39.5 million people live in the state of California. Meanwhile, about 43 million citations were made on EasyBib from January to March of 2018. That’s a lot of citations.

5. “Citations” is a Word With a Long History

The word “citations” can be traced back literally thousands of years to the Latin word “citare” meaning “to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite.” The word then took on its more modern meaning and relevance to writing papers in the 1600s, where it became known as the “act of citing or quoting a passage from a book, etc.”

6. Citation Styles are Always Changing

The concept of citations always stays the same. It is a means of preventing plagiarism and demonstrating where you relied on outside sources. The specific style rules, however, can and do change regularly. For example, in 2018 alone, 46 new citation styles were introduced , and 106 updates were made to exiting styles. At EasyBib, we are always on the lookout for ways to improve our styles and opportunities to add new ones to our list.

Why Citations Matter

Here are the ways accurate citations can help your students achieve academic success, and how you can answer the dreaded question, “why should I cite my sources?”

They Give Credit to the Right People

Citing their sources makes sure that the reader can differentiate the student’s original thoughts from those of other researchers. Not only does this make sure that the sources they use receive proper credit for their work, it ensures that the student receives deserved recognition for their unique contributions to the topic. Whether the student is citing in MLA format , APA format , or any other style, citations serve as a natural way to place a student’s work in the broader context of the subject area, and serve as an easy way to gauge their commitment to the project.

They Provide Hard Evidence of Ideas

Having many citations from a wide variety of sources related to their idea means that the student is working on a well-researched and respected subject. Citing sources that back up their claim creates room for fact-checking and further research . And, if they can cite a few sources that have the converse opinion or idea, and then demonstrate to the reader why they believe that that viewpoint is wrong by again citing credible sources, the student is well on their way to winning over the reader and cementing their point of view.

They Promote Originality and Prevent Plagiarism

The point of research projects is not to regurgitate information that can already be found elsewhere. We have Google for that! What the student’s project should aim to do is promote an original idea or a spin on an existing idea, and use reliable sources to promote that idea. Copying or directly referencing a source without proper citation can lead to not only a poor grade, but accusations of academic dishonesty. By citing their sources regularly and accurately, students can easily avoid the trap of plagiarism , and promote further research on their topic.

They Create Better Researchers

By researching sources to back up and promote their ideas, students are becoming better researchers without even knowing it! Each time a new source is read or researched, the student is becoming more engaged with the project and is developing a deeper understanding of the subject area. Proper citations demonstrate a breadth of the student’s reading and dedication to the project itself. By creating citations, students are compelled to make connections between their sources and discern research patterns. Each time they complete this process, they are helping themselves become better researchers and writers overall.

When is the Right Time to Start Making Citations?

Make in-text/parenthetical citations as you need them.

As you are writing your paper, be sure to include references within the text that correspond with references in a works cited or bibliography. These are usually called in-text citations or parenthetical citations in MLA and APA formats. The most effective time to complete these is directly after you have made your reference to another source. For instance, after writing the line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities : “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” you would include a citation like this (depending on your chosen citation style):

(Dickens 11).

This signals to the reader that you have referenced an outside source. What’s great about this system is that the in-text citations serve as a natural list for all of the citations you have made in your paper, which will make completing the works cited page a whole lot easier. After you are done writing, all that will be left for you to do is scan your paper for these references, and then build a works cited page that includes a citation for each one.

Need help creating an MLA works cited page ? Try the MLA format generator on EasyBib.com! We also have a guide on how to format an APA reference page .

2. Understand the General Formatting Rules of Your Citation Style Before You Start Writing

While reading up on paper formatting may not sound exciting, being aware of how your paper should look early on in the paper writing process is super important. Citation styles can dictate more than just the appearance of the citations themselves, but rather can impact the layout of your paper as a whole, with specific guidelines concerning margin width, title treatment, and even font size and spacing. Knowing how to organize your paper before you start writing will ensure that you do not receive a low grade for something as trivial as forgetting a hanging indent.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s a formatting guide on APA format .

3. Double-check All of Your Outside Sources for Relevance and Trustworthiness First

Collecting outside sources that support your research and specific topic is a critical step in writing an effective paper. But before you run to the library and grab the first 20 books you can lay your hands on, keep in mind that selecting a source to include in your paper should not be taken lightly. Before you proceed with using it to backup your ideas, run a quick Internet search for it and see if other scholars in your field have written about it as well. Check to see if there are book reviews about it or peer accolades. If you spot something that seems off to you, you may want to consider leaving it out of your work. Doing this before your start making citations can save you a ton of time in the long run.

Finished with your paper? It may be time to run it through a grammar and plagiarism checker , like the one offered by EasyBib Plus. If you’re just looking to brush up on the basics, our grammar guides  are ready anytime you are.

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