How do I cite a copy of a speech?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

You should always acknowledge when a speech was accessed using a secondary source. Thus, how you cite a copy of a speech depends on where you found it and the form in which it appears. 

Republished in a Digital Book

To cite a speech republished in a digital book, follow the MLA format template . List the name of the speaker and the title of the speech. Then list the title of the book and—if given—its editor, followed by the publication details for the book. If the work exists in print as well, list the format in the “Version” slot so that your reader will know that you are citing the digital version:

Goldman, Emma. “What Is Patriotism?” Great Speeches of the Twentieth Century , edited by Bob Blaisdell, Kindle ed., Dover Publications, 2011. 

Note that you do not need to provide original publication information for the speech because you are not citing the original version. You are citing the version republished in a book.

Scanned and Housed on a website

If you cite a speech from an archive scanned and housed on a website, you should list the original publication details provided by the site. The speech document is simply housed on the website; it is not a republished version of the work. The works-cited-list entry below, for a speech by Dwight Eisenhower scanned and housed on the website Docsteach , lists the name of the speaker and the title of the speech. The date of the speech is given in the middle optional-element slot because it refers back to what precedes. The name of the collection containing the speech is given as the title of the container, followed by the location of the collection. The second container lists the name of the website, its publisher, and the URL:

Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Chance for Peace.” 16 Apr. 1953. Collection DDE-EPRES: Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Papers as President of the United States, National Archives identifier 72736172. Docsteach , National Archives, www.docsteach.org/documents/document/chance-for-peace-speech.

Republished on a website

If a speech is republished in an HTML version on a website, then cite the speech the same way you cite a speech republished in a book. The  Docsteach  site from the example above contains not only a scan of Eisenhower’s speech but also an HTML transcript. To cite this version of the speech, list the name of the speaker, the title of the speech, and—in the middle optional-element slot—the date of the speech. Then list the name of the website as the title of the container, followed by the publication details. For clarity, you might list the format in the optional-element slot at the end of the entry.

Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Chance for Peace.” 16 Apr. 1953.  Docsteach , National Archives, www.docsteach.org/documents/document/chance-for-peace-speech. Transcript.

Note that in the book example, the date of the publication is that of the book rather than that of the speech because it is the most relevant date for that version of the work. In the transcript example, the date of the speech is provided because it is provided on the transcript.

Read more on citing speeches—in particular, a lecture or speech heard online .

  • Library Catalogue

Citing lectures, speeches, or conference proceedings: MLA (9th ed.) citation guide

how to cite a speech in a book mla

This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 9th ed. and provides selected citation examples for common types of sources.  For more detailed information, please consult the full manual: available in print and online .

Lecture, speech, reading or address

When citing a live presentation like a speech or lecture from a conference or an event, include the name of the sponsoring/presenting organization (after the title), and the venue (after date and before the wider location) in your works cited. 

Parenthetical (in-text) 

The presenter went to great lengths to prove his point regarding how your brain has been shaped by evolution (Crespi). 

Works cited 

A live lecture  .

Crespi, Bernie. "Darwin and Your Brain." Vancouver Evolution Festival . Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia, 12 Feb. 2009, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver.

An online recording of a live presentation

Parker, Pardis. “Why Being a Billionaire is a Joke.” TED , Oct. 2022, www.ted.com/talks/pardis_parker_why_being_a_billionaire_is_a_joke.

Conference proceedings

A conference proceeding is the published record of a conference, congress, symposium, or other meeting sponsored by a society or association. The document will look similar to an article or book chapter (and it may in fact be a chapter in a book). To cite a conference proceeding, provide the same information as when citing a book or article , but also include additional information such as the title and date of the conference.

You may be citing an edited book of proceedings (see Edited print books ) or a single presentation, in which you would cite the author(s)/presenter(s), the title of the presentation, and the conference proceeding details similar to a book chapter or journal article .

Parenthetical (in-text)

Social media provides a platform for more minority groups to speak out (Fu).

Works cited

Whole proceedings.

Chang, Steve S., et al., editors. Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, February 12–15, 1999: General Session and Parasession on Loan Word Phenomena . Berkeley Linguistics Society, 2000.

A single presentation

Fu, Yige, et al. “Research on the Influences of Social Media to Gender Equality.” SHS Web of Conferences , vol. 148, EDP Sciences, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202214803026.

Still using MLA 8?

We've now updated our citation guides to MLA 9, but you can still use the printable version of our MLA 8 citation guide. 

Need more help? Check our Ask a Librarian services .

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Mla 8th ed. style guide: speeches.

  • Art, Photography, Music
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  • Legal Sources
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On This Page

Speech Found on a Website Format: Transcript (printed copy of the speech) Format: Audio Recording Format: Video Recording

Speech Found in a Book

Speech Found in a Library Database

Speech Heard in Person

Sample Citations - Books

Speech Found on a Website

Format: Transcript (a printed copy of the speech)

The original date of the speech is not required, but it may be included if the date is certain and considered helpful for your reader. The type of source (in this case, “Transcript”) is also optional, and may be included if the format is unexpected.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “‘I Have a Dream,’ Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” 28 Aug. 1963. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University, 23 July 2014, kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/i-have-dream-address-delivered-march-washington-jobs-and-freedom. Transcript.

Format: Audio Recording and Transcript

In this case, Martin Luther King, Jr. is considered the author since this is primarily his speech. The date of the speech and the name of the host are optional elements. The date the show aired should be included since it is clearly stated in the article. The type of source (“Audio” and “Transcript”) are optional, but may be included if this is considered helpful information for your reader.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “‘I Have A Dream’ Speech, In Its Entirety.” 28 Aug. 1963. Talk of the Nation. Hosted by Rebecca Roberts, NPR.org, 18 Jan. 2010,  www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety. Audio and Transcript.

Format: Video Recording

Reagan, Ronald. “Challenger: President Reagan’s Challenger Disaster Speech.” 28 Jan. 1986. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa7icmqgsow. Accessed 8 June 2020.

In this case, “May 2015” refers to when the lecture was posted to the website, not the date of the actual lecture. Therefore, the date comes after the name of the site, pointing back to the element closest to the date.

Headlee, Celeste. “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, May 2015, www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_ better_conversation.

When speeches are republished in an anthology or book, the original date of the speech is not required, but may be included if it is considered helpful for your reader. The page range is also optional. If the speech is found in an eBook, the name of the database and the URL should be included.

Truth, Sojourner. “A’n’t I a Woman?” 28 May 1851. The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great African American Speeches, edited by Richard W. Leeman, and Bernard K. Duffy, Southern Illinois UP, 2012, pp. 46-48. ProQuest Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/ lib/wfu/detail.action?docID=1354630.

In this case, the date that the speech was given is included in the title, so there is no need to repeat the date.

Roosevelt, Theodore. Mr. Roosevelt's Speech on Suffrage, Delivered at St. Johnsbury, Vt., August 30, 1912. [Allied Printing], [1914?]. Nineteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/AYWGWQ418686666/NCCO?u= nclivew fuy&sid=NCCO&xid=10b0e6a5. Accessed 8 June 2020.

The terms “Lecture” or “Address” are optional and may be used to indicate that the speech was heard in person.

Noonan, Peggy. Voices of our Time Series. 8 Sept. 2016. Brendle Recital Hall, Wake Forest University. Address.

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  • 5. Cite Your Sources

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5. Cite Your Sources in MLA Format

Here are a few examples to help you cite your sources in MLA format:

How to Cite Part of a Book or Ebook (Print or Electronic)

Format:   Author(s). "Title of Part."  Title of Book , edited by Editor, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, page number(s).  Database Name (if electronic) , URL.

Example: Parsloe, Sarah M. "How Fishy is it? Risk Communication and Perceptions of Genetically Engineered Salmon." Food Safety: a Reference Handbook , by Nina E. Redman and Michele Morrone, 3rd ed., ABC-CLIO, 2017, pp. 121-126. EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=1457340&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

How to Cite a Journal Article from a Database

Format:   Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal , vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic). ​

Example: Melugin, Jessica."Net Neutrality is Bad for Consumers." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection , 2018. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,  link.gale.com/apps/doc/IQBUHE201042021/OVIC?u=spartechcl&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=ba4e19e4 .

How to Cite an Article from Issues & Controversies

​ ​ Format: "Title of Article." Database Name , Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.

​ Example:   "Childhood Obesity." Issues & Controversies , Infobase, 6 Mar. 2023, icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTY1MDU=.

How to Cite a Graph from Statista

Format:  Creator(s). "Title of Graph." Title of Source in Italics,  Publisher, Date. Database Name,  URL.

Example: "Estimated Volume of Food Waste Generated in the United States from 2016 to 2019 (in Millions Tons)." 2019 Wasted Food Report , Environmental Protection Agency, Apr. 2023. Statista , https://www.statista.com/statistics/1386235/amount-of-food-waste-generated-in-the-united-states/.

How to Cite a Website

Format:  Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Website in Italics , Website Publisher (if different than title), Date of publication, URL.

*Note:   Exclude publisher if title of website and publisher are the same. *Note: If website does not have a date, add an access date at the end after the URL: Accessed 7 May 2016. *Note: Do not include the http:// or https:// in the URL.

Example: Fowler, Betheny, and Robert Cox. "School Meals Will be Free at Multiple Spartanburg Co. Districts." 7 News WSPA.COM , Nexstar Media Group, 27 July 2023, www.wspa.com/news/school/students-in-spartanburg-school-district-1-to-receive-free-meals/.

Additional MLA Examples

Citing Images in a Presentation

MLA gives two different ways to cite an images in a presentation or paper depending on how you are using the image in your presentation. The difference depends on whether the image is just for illustration or decoration (a stand along image), or if you're going to refer to this image in your presentation (the image itself is part of the content of your presentation.

Option 1: Image is for Illustration or Decoration (not going to talk directly about the image during your presentation).

In this case, list the entire citation information in the caption of the image. Do not list it on your Works Cited page at the end.

Option 2: Image is Part of the Presentation (going to talk about the image specifically during your presentation)

​In this case, you'll still include a caption for the image, but the caption will only include an in-text citation, and the entire citation information will go on the Works Cited page like you with a regular source.

See the two different ways you could use the image below in a presentation, and how the citing would differ.

​Option 1: If the image below is on a slide about massage therapists, but you don't directly talk about the image, then you'd include the full citation information in the caption for the image. See below.

chair massage

Fig. 1: Cuttingham, Alyssa. Massage Chair. Massage & Bodywork , vol. 28, no. 3, Dec. 2016, p. 14. Vocational and Career Collection .

Option 2: If you're displaying this image of the massage chair in order to talk about the correct positioning and demonstrate how someone should sit in the chair, meaning that you'll talk about this image and what it shows, then you would include the citation information in your Works Cited, and the caption would just include an in-text citation.

how to cite a speech in a book mla

Fig. 1: Correct Positioning in a Massage Chair (Cuttingham 14).

Works Cited

Cuttingham, Alyssa.  Massage Chair. Massage & Bodywork , vol. 28, no. 3, Dec. 2016, p. 14. Vocational and Career Collection .

In-Text Citations

This in-text citation information will get you started, but see our full In-text Citation Guide for more information and additional examples .

  • Basic Format

No Page Numbers

  • 3 or More Authors

Basic Format: 1 Author and Page Numbers

Place the author’s last name and page number in parenthesis. If the in-text citation is at the end of a sentence, place the period outside the parenthesis.

Example 1:  (Hennessy 81).

Example 2:  (Hennessy 81-82).

If a source has no page numbers, omit the page number. Keep in mind, most electronic sources do not include pages.

Example 1: ("Everyday Victims")

Example 2: (Jones)

If the source has no author, your in-text citation will use the title of the source that starts your works cited entry. The title may appear in the sentence itself or, abbreviated, before the page number in parenthesis.

Example 1:  (“Noon” 508).

Example 2 :  ( Faulkner’s Novels  25).

Example 3 :  (“Climate Model Simulations").

If the entry on the Works Cited page begins with the names of two authors, include both last names in the in-text citation, connected by and.

Example:  (Dorris and Erdrich 23).

If the source has three or more authors, include the first author’s last name followed by et al.

Example:  (Burdick et al. 42).

MLA Works Cited Guide

MLA Works Cited Guide

Shortened MLA Practice Template

Shortened MLA Practice Template

MLA Formatting Rules

MLA Formatting Rules

In-text Citations

In-text Citations

Sample Paper in MLA Format

Sample Paper in MLA Format

MLA Practice Template (long version)

MLA Practice Template (long version)

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Citing a Speech

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Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February each year in the United States—and it offers the perfect opportunity to honor the life and achievements of past American presidents, especially historical standouts like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

The holiday was initially held on February 22nd to honor the life and achievements of George Washington (it coincided with his birthday). So, what better way to commemorate the holiday than by learning to cite one of Washington’s most famous presidential speeches: his farewell address.

Below, we’ve laid out instructions on how to cite any presidential speech in three citation styles: MLA, APA and Chicago. For each style, we’ve cited Washington’s farewell address as an example.

In order to properly cite a presidential speech, you need to know the following pieces of information:

  • Speaker’s first and last name
  • Speech’s title
  • Date the speech was delivered
  • Editor’s name (if applicable)

If you found the speech in a book, you should also take note of the following:

  • Book’s title
  • First and last name of the book’s author
  • Book’s publisher
  • Book’s year of publication
  • City and state the publisher is located in
  • Page number(s) of the speech

If you found the speech on the internet, instead pay attention to:

  • Title of the article
  • Title of the webpage (if it differs from the article name)
  • Where the speech was given
  • Publisher of the website
  • Date the article was posted
  • URL of the website where the speech resides

Citing Washington’s Farewell Address in MLA Style

How it would look if found in a book :

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Speech.” Date Speech Delivered. Title of Book, edited or translated by First Name Last Name (if applicable) , Publisher, Year of Publication.

MLA citation example (We used the book shown here ) :

Washington, George. “George Washington’s Farewell Address.” 17 Sept. 1796. George Washington’s Farewell Address: Little Books of Wisdom , edited by John Brooks, Applewood Books, 1999.

Online Transcript

How it would look if found in an online transcript :

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Speech.” Date Speech Was Delivered. Title of Website, Publisher’s Name, Date of Publication, URL (no http:// or https://). Transcript (include if video/audio formats also available).

MLA example :

Washington, George. “George Washington’s Farewell Address.” 17 Sept. 1796. The Avalon Project , Lillian Goldman Law Library, 2008, avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp. 

Citing Washington’s Farewell Address in APA Style

Title of speech. (Publication Year of Book). In Editor’s Initial. Last Name (Ed.), Book title . City, State: Publisher.

APA citation example :

George Washington’s farewell address. (1999). In J. Brooks (Ed.), George Washington’s farewell addres s: Little books of wisdom . Bedford, MA: Applewood Books.

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication for Webpage). Title of the article or individual page [Format]. Retrieved from URL (no http:// or https://).

APA example :

Washington, G. (2008). Washington’s farewell address 1796   [Transcript]. Retrieved from avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp.

Citing Washington’s Farewell Address in Chicago Style

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Speech.” Year Speech Was Delivered. In Book Title, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name. City, State: Publisher, Year Published.

Chicago citation example :

Washington, George. “George Washington’s Farewell Address.” 1796. In George Washington’s Farewell Address: Little Books of Wisdom , edited by John Brooks. Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 1999.

Speaker’s Last Name, Speaker’s First Name. “Title of Speech.” Speech, Location Delivered, Date Delivered. “Title of Webpage,” Title of Site . Date Accessed. URL.

Chicago example :

Washington, George. “Washington’s Farewell Address.” Speech, Washington, D.C., 1796. “The Avalon Project: Documents in Law ,History and Diplomacy,” Avalon Project. Accessed November 6, 2018. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp.

Need to cite more than what’s outlined above? Cite This For Me has several citing resources including a Harvard referencing generator , a guide on how to do an in-text citation ,  an annotated bibliography example you can learn from, and other bibliographic tools.

To cite a speech from a printed book in the MLA style, use the following format.

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Speech Title.” Date Speech Delivered (if available). Title of Book , edited or translated by First and Last Name (if applicable), Publisher, Year.

Prakash, Navya. “An Appeal Against Logic.” The Tyranny of Reason , Thoughtful Books, 2021.

To cite a speech from an online transcript in the MLA style, use the following format.

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Speech Title.” Date Speech Delivered (if available). Title of Website , Publisher Name, Date, URL (without the http(s)://). Transcript. (Include if speech is also in video or audio format)

Prakash, Navya. “An Appeal Against Logic.” The Tyranny of Reason Project , The Laws of Reason Library, 2021, www.thereasonlibrary.edu/tyrannyofreason/an-appeal-against-logic_htm. Transcript.

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Citing Sources: Citing Orally in Speeches

  • Citing Sources Overview
  • Citing in the Sciences & Engineering
  • APA Citation Examples
  • Chicago Citation Examples
  • Biologists: Council of Science Editors (CSE) Examples
  • MLA Citation Examples
  • Bluebook - Legal Citation

Citing Orally in Speeches

  • Citation Managers
  • Oral Source Citations - James Madison University Communication Center
  • Using Citations and Avoiding Plagiarism in Oral Presentations - Hamilton College, Dept. of Rhetoric and Communication
  • Referencing: Citing in Orals - James Cook University

General Tips:

Tell the audience your source before you use the information (the opposite of in-text citations).

Do not say, “quote, unquote” when you offer a direct quotation. Use brief pauses instead.

Provide enough information about each source so that your audience could, with a little effort, find them. This should include the author(s) name, a brief explanation of their credentials, the title of the work, and publication date.

 “In the 1979 edition of The Elements of Style, renowned grammarians and composition stylists Strunk and White encourage writers to ‘make every word tell.’”

If your source is unknown to your audience, provide enough information about your source for the audience to perceive them as credible. Typically we provide this credentialing of the source by stating the source’s qualifications to discuss the topic.

“Dr. Derek Bok, the President Emeritus of Harvard University and the author of The Politics of Happiness argues that the American government should design policies to enhance the happiness of its citizens.”

Provide a caption citation for all direct quotations and /or relevant images on your PowerPoint slides.

Direct Quotations:

These should be acknowledged in your speech or presentation either as “And I quote…” or “As [the source] put it…”

Include title and author: “According to April Jones, author of Readings on Gender…”

Periodical/Magazine:

Include title and date: “Time, March 28, 2005, explains…” or “The New York Times, June 5, 2006, explained it this way…”

Include journal title, date, and author: “Morgan Smith writes in the Fall 2005 issue of Science…”

For organizational or long-standing website, include title: “The center for Disease Control web site includes information…” For news or magazine websites, include title and date: “CNN.com, on March 28, 2005, states…” (Note: CNN is an exception to the “don’t use the address” rule because the site is known by that name.)

Interviews, lecture notes, or personal communication:

Include name and credentials of source: “Alice Smith, professor of Economics at USM, had this to say about the growth plan…” or “According to junior Speech Communication major, Susan Wallace…”

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MLA (Modern Language Association) is a set of guidelines to properly write, cite, and format papers.

This guide contains information on MLA 9th edition citation style including:

  • how to cite sources for the Works Cited page at the end of your paper
  • how to do in-text citations within the body of your work
  • sample research papers and Microsoft Word templates
  • additional resources (books, websites, citation generators)
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Consult the MLA Handbook for detailed standards and guidelines. Feel free to reach out to the MDC librarians for assistance. 

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Book Citation

How to Cite a Book in MLA

Books are written works or compositions that have been published. They are no longer restricted to paper and have evolved into the online realm.

Below are examples of how to cite different types of books in MLA 9. If you need a different citation style, there is also a guide on citing a book in APA .

In MLA, a basic book citation includes the following information:

  • Author’s name
  • Title of book
  • Publisher of the book
  • Year published

Additional information is needed when citing:

  • Name of website or database
  • Name of e-book device
  • Name of the translator or editor
  • Name of book editor or author
  • Name of chapter author
  • Page numbers or ranges used
  • Volume number of the book
  • City the book was published in

Citing a book in MLA (print)

View Screenshot | Cite your book

Citing a book found on a Website or database in MLA

Many books are now found online. Popular sites or databases that hold e-books include Google Books, Project Gutenberg, and EBSCO.

Cite your book

*Keep “https:” at the beginning of the URL only when citing a DOI.

Digital sources with no page numbers means that no page numbers should be included in the in-text citation.

Citing an E-book in MLA (found via an e-reader)

E-Readers are electronic devices that display e-books. Kindles and Nooks are some of the more popular e-readers available today. Individuals can purchase or borrow e-books and read them on their e-readers.

Cite your ebook

Since the page numbers of an e-book can vary across e-reader, text preferences, and other factors, you should not include a page number. This is because a consistent page number does not exist. You can include section numbers (sec., secs.) or chapter numbers (ch., chs.) instead, if they exist and you feel it would be helpful.

Citing a translated or edited book in MLA

Citing a chapter of a book in mla.

*In the above citation example, The Body of the Queen: Gender and Rule in the Courtly World, 1500-2000 is an edited book that features a chapter by Louis Montrose. The title of the chapter that he wrote is found in quotation marks (“Elizabeth Through the Looking Glass: Picturing the Queen’s Two Bodies”).

Citing a book with multiple authors in MLA

*et al. is Latin for “and others.”

Published October 20, 2011. Updated May 9, 2021.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Sample Paper
  • Works Cited
  • MLA 8 Updates
  • MLA 9 Updates
  • View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all MLA Examples

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In the works cited: If the organization is the author and publisher, don’t include an author and start the citation with the book’s title. If the author and publisher are different, use the organization name as the author.

When the chapter’s author is different from the book’s editor or author. Chapters are usually cited when you use anthologies, multi-volume sets, or a foreword/afterword written by someone other than the book’s main author.

Place the author’s last name and the quote chapter number in parenthesis after the borrowed quote or information. Example: “Feeling that Peter was on his way back, the Neverland had again woke into life” (Barrie ch. 5).

MLA is the style most often used in literature, language, history, art and theater subjects.

If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

To cite a book with multiple authors in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, publication year, book title, and publisher. The templates for in-text citation and works-cited-list entry of a book written by multiple authors and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Citation in prose:

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Harold Napoleon and Richard Harris). For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Harold Napoleon and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Napoleon and others).

First mention: Harold Napoleon and colleagues…. or Harold Napoleon and others ….

Subsequent occurrences: Napoleon and colleagues…. or Napoleon and others ….

Parenthetical:

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname (e.g., Napoleon). For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Napoleon and Harris). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

….(Napoleon et al.)

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the book is given in italics and title case.

Surname, F. M., et al. Title of the Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

Napoleon, Harold, et al. Yuuyaraq the Way of the Human Being: With Commentary . University of Alaska, 1996.

Use only the first author’s name in surname–first name order in the entry and follow it with “et al.”

A book is a printed copy, whereas an e-book is an online version and is available via different electronic media (e.g., epub and Kindle).

To cite a print book in MLA format, you need to know the names of the authors, the title of the book, publisher name, publication date, and page range (optional). You need the same information to cite an e-book, however, you will not include page numbers unless they are the same as those in the print version of the book. MLA mostly treats citations for print books and e-books the same, except for noting that the e-book version is being cited within the entry.

The templates and examples for in-text citations and works cited list entries for a book and an e-book are provided below:

In-text citation template and example for a book:

Author Surname

(Author Surname Page)

(Damasio 7)

Works cited list entry template and example:

Surname, First Name. Title of the Book . Publisher, Publication Date, Page range.

Damasio, Antonio. Emotion, Reason and the Feeling Brain . Penguin, 1994.

In-text citation template and example for an e-book:

(Author Surname)

Author’s Surname, First Name. Title of the Book . E-book ed., Publisher, Publication Date.

Davis, Barbara. The Keeper of Happy Endings . E-book ed., Lake Union Publishing, 2021.

MLA Citation Examples

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How to Properly to Cite Dialogue in MLA

Last Updated: February 13, 2024 References

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 66,270 times.

When you're writing a paper about a work of literature, such as a play or story, you might need to quote from the dialogue. If you're using the citation style of the Modern Language Association (MLA), your Works Cited entry will be the same as it would be for any book, play, or other source. However, the format and in-text citation of dialogue can be a little tricky, especially when you're quoting several lines of dialogue directly.

In-Text Citation

Use this method if your quote is short (3 lines or fewer) and only includes speech from one character. [1] X Research source

Step 1 Put single quotation marks around the speech if it's only part of the quoted passage.

  • For example, you might write: Nick, the narrator of the story, clearly has class insecurity: "'You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy,' I confessed on my second glass of corky but rather impressive claret. 'Can't you talk about crops or something?'" (Fitzgerald 15)

Step 2 Use double quotation marks if you're quoting only the speech.

  • For example, you might write: Tom brings his racism full center when he exclaims that "civilization's going to pieces." (Fitzgerald 15)
  • For example, you might write: Tom describes a book he's been reading and asserts "The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be — will be utterly submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved" (Fitzgerald 16).

Block Quotes

Use this method for quotes that are longer than 3 lines or include speech from more than one character.

Step 1 Introduce the block quote with a colon.

  • For example, you might write: "You don't have to read far into Fitzgerald's book to encounter outright racism:" and then follow with a block quote about Tom discussing his white supremacist thoughts.

Step 2 Set the left margin of the block quote 0.5 in (1.3 cm) over from your text.

  • With dialogue from a novel or short story, retain the paragraph format that appears in the original source and use double quotation marks around the spoken dialogue.
  • If you're quoting dialogue from a play, the margins are different. The entire quote is set off 1 in (2.5 cm) from the text of your paper. Each subsequent line beyond a character's first is indented an additional 0.25 in (0.64 cm) (about 3 spaces). [7] X Research source

Step 3 Start each line with the character's name when quoting a play.

  • Don't use quotation marks anywhere in the dialogue when block-quoting dialogue from a play.
  • For example, you might quote the dialogue before Romeo and Juliet's first kiss: ROMEO. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? JULIET. Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. ROMEO. O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. JULIET. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. ROMEO. Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. (Shakespeare 1.5.112-117)

Step 4 Add the page number or range in parentheses at the end of the block quote.

  • For example, the last lines of your block quote might look like this: And I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." (Fitzgerald 19-20)

Works Cited

Use this method to organize information about the source in your Works Cited entry.

Step 1 Start your Works Cited entry with the author's name.

  • Example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott.
  • If there are 2 authors, list them in the order they appear on the title page of the book. Place a comma after the first author's first name, then type the word "and," followed by the second author's first and last name. (Example: Smith, John and Sally Ride)
  • If there are 3 or more authors, list only the first author's name, add a comma after their first name, then type the abbreviation "et al." (Example: Smith, John, et al.)

Step 2 Add the title of the source.

  • Book example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby .
  • Short story example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz."

Step 3 Include the title of the larger work and editor if necessary.

  • Short story example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz." The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald , edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli,
  • For literary journals or other periodicals , include the volume and issue numbers as well.

Step 4 List the publisher and year of publication.

  • Book example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby . Scribner, 2004.
  • Short story example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz." The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald , edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli, Scribner, 1995.

Step 5 Close your entry with a URL if the source is available online.

  • Book example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby . Scribner, 2004. gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200041h.html.
  • Short story example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz." The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald , edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli, Scribner, 1995. public-library.uk/ebooks/28/56.pdf.

Template to Cite Dialogue in MLA

how to cite a speech in a book mla

Expert Q&A

  • If you're quoting Shakespeare , use the act, verse, and line numbers, rather than the page numbers of the specific edition you're using. With other plays, use the page number, as you would with any book. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

how to cite a speech in a book mla

  • This article describes how to cite dialogue using MLA 8th edition (2016). If your instructor or supervisor has you using a different edition, the format might be different. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Cite the WHO in APA

  • ↑ https://www.monmouth.edu/resources-for-writers/documents/mla-citing-drama.pdf/
  • ↑ https://style.mla.org/citing-dialogue-from-a-novel/
  • ↑ https://libguides.msjc.edu/c.php?g=498977&p=3416596
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_books.html
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_basic_format.html
  • ↑ https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/
  • ↑ https://dcc.libguides.com/c.php?g=904157&p=6508010
  • ↑ http://msweinfurter.weebly.com/uploads/5/4/3/7/5437316/mla_in_text_citation_of_poetry_and_drama_godot_and_auden.pdf

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  • How to Cite a Book | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples

How to Cite a Book | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples

Published on February 26, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.

To cite a book, you need a brief in-text citation and a corresponding reference listing the author’s name, the title, the year of publication, and the publisher. The order and format of information depends on the citation style you’re using. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago style .

Use the interactive example generator to explore the format of book citations in MLA and APA.

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Table of contents

Citing a book in mla style, citing a book in apa style, citing a book in chicago style, where to find source information in a book, frequently asked questions about citations.

An MLA book citation includes the author’s name , the book title (in italics, capitalized headline-style), the edition (if specified), the publisher, and the year of publication. If it’s an e-book , write “e-book” (or a more specific description, e.g. “Kindle ed.”) before the publisher name.

The corresponding in-text citation lists the author’s last name and the page number of the passage cited.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to create your book citations.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Citing a book chapter in mla.

To cite a book chapter , first give the author and title (in quotation marks) of the chapter cited, then information about the book as a whole and the page range of the specific chapter.

The in-text citation lists the author of the chapter and the page number of the relevant passage.

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An APA Style book citation lists the author’s last name and initials, the year of publication, the title and any subtitle (in italics, capitalizing only the first word), the edition (if specified), and the publisher. Add a DOI or URL to the end of the entry if available (e.g. for e-books or books accessed online ).

In an in-text citation, state the author’s last name and the publication year, and a page number if you need to show the location of a specific quote or paraphrase .

You can also use our free APA Citation Generator to automatically generate your book citations. Search for a title, DOI, or ISBN to retrieve the details.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

Citing a book chapter in apa.

To cite a book chapter , list information about the chapter first, followed by information about the book, including the book’s editor(s) and the chapter’s page range within the book.

The author of the chapter, not the editor of the book, is listed in the in-text citation.

Chicago notes and bibliography style uses footnotes to cite sources instead of parenthetical citations. These notes refer to a bibliography at the end giving full source details.

A Chicago bibliography entry for a book includes the author’s name, the book title and subtitle, the edition (if stated), the location and name of the publisher, and the year of publication. For an e-book , add the e-book format (e.g. “Kindle”) at the end.

Chicago also has an alternative style, Chicago author-date . You can see examples of book citations in this style here .

Citing a book chapter in Chicago

To cite a book chapter , start with the author and the title of the chapter (in quotation marks), then give the title (in italics) and editor of the book, the page range of the chapter, the location and name of the publisher, and the year of publication.

All the information you need for a book citation can usually be found on the book’s title page and copyright page. The main things you’re looking for are:

  • the title (and subtitle if present)
  • name(s) of the author(s)
  • year of publication
  • place of publication

You should also check if the book specifies an edition (e.g. 2nd edition, revised edition) and if any other contributors are named (e.g. editor, translator).

The image below shows where to find the relevant information on the title and copyright pages of a typical book.

APA book source info

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The main elements included in all book citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the author, the title, the year of publication, and the name of the publisher. A page number is also included in in-text citations to highlight the specific passage cited.

In Chicago style and in the 6th edition of APA Style , the location of the publisher is also included, e.g. London: Penguin.

When a book’s chapters are written by different authors, you should cite the specific chapter you are referring to.

When all the chapters are written by the same author (or group of authors), you should usually cite the entire book, but some styles include exceptions to this.

  • In APA Style , single-author books should always be cited as a whole, even if you only quote or paraphrase from one chapter.
  • In MLA Style , if a single-author book is a collection of stand-alone works (e.g. short stories ), you should cite the individual work.
  • In Chicago Style , you may choose to cite a single chapter of a single-author book if you feel it is more appropriate than citing the whole book.

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.

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.

“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .

Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.

Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.

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.

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. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Book | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/cite-a-book/

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FAQ: How do I cite a MindEdge textbook or resource in MLA style?

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The proper way to cite MindEdge resources can vary by department, course, and instructor, so always be sure to check with your professor about how they would like you to cite MindEdge resources. However, the following are examples of how MindEdge resources could be cited based on the MLA citation manual guidelines:

Works Cited Page

General ebook format .

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName MiddleInitial.  Title of Book . Publisher, Year Published. Title of database or website, URL or DOI.

NOTE: When an organization is both author and publisher of a work, the organization’s name is given only once, usually as the publisher. No author is stated.

For Example

FAS-201: Introduction to Humanities I . MindEdge. Brightspace,  https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/ .

NOTE: When there is no publication date, skip that part of the citation.

Corresponding In-Text Citation

NOTE: The MLA Handbook suggests using chapter or paragraph numbers when no page numbers are available, but only if the chapter or paragraphs are  explicitly included  in the original text. If there are no page, chapter, paragraph, or section numbers in the original text, then no numbers should be included in the citation.

More Examples

  • MLA guide - Example Citations: Books  (Shapiro Library)

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

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MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

  • Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
  • "Article name in quotation marks."
  • Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
  • Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
  • Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
  • Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
  • DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
  • Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.

IMAGES

  1. 3 Ways to Cite a Book in MLA Style

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

  2. 4 Ways to Cite a Speech

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

  3. MLA Format

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

  4. FREE MLA Format Citation Generator [9th Edition]

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

  5. 3 Ways to Cite Sources in MLA Format

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

  6. MLA Format Citation Generator (Free) & Quick Guide

    how to cite a speech in a book mla

VIDEO

  1. speech book photo editing

  2. Cite a Source Speech

  3. MS. CITE'S SPEECH

  4. How do you in-text cite a speech in MLA?

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  6. What is MLA Format and How to Properly Cite Sources in Your Writing?

COMMENTS

  1. How do I cite a copy of a speech?

    To cite a speech republished in a digital book, follow the MLA format template. List the name of the speaker and the title of the speech. Then list the title of the book and—if given—its editor, followed by the publication details for the book. If the work exists in print as well, list the format in the "Version" slot so that your ...

  2. MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources

    Determine the type of work to cite (e.g., article, image, sound recording) and cite appropriately. End the entry with the name of the digital format (e.g., PDF, JPEG file, Microsoft Word file, MP3). If the work does not follow traditional parameters for citation, give the author's name, the name of the work, the date of creation, and the ...

  3. Citing lectures, speeches, or conference proceedings: MLA (9th ed

    To cite a conference proceeding, provide the same information as when citing a book or article, but also include additional information such as the title and date of the conference. You may be citing an edited book of proceedings (see Edited print books) or a single presentation, in which you would cite the author (s)/presenter (s), the title ...

  4. MLA Works Cited Page: Books

    Works may include an essay in an edited collection or anthology, or a chapter of a book. The basic form is for this sort of citation is as follows: Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name (s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry. Some examples: Harris, Muriel.

  5. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  6. MLA 8th ed. Style Guide: Speeches

    Speech Found in a Book. When speeches are republished in an anthology or book, the original date of the speech is not required, but may be included if it is considered helpful for your reader. The page range is also optional. If the speech is found in an eBook, the name of the database and the URL should be included.

  7. MLA Works Cited

    Book. The main elements of a book citation are the author, title (italicized), publisher, and year. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 2007. If there are other contributors (such as editors or translators), or if you consulted a particular volume or edition of a book, these elements should also be included in the citation ...

  8. How to Cite a Book in MLA

    If the original publication date is relevant or necessary to put the source in context, you can also include this directly after the title. MLA format. Author last name, First name. Book Title. Original publication year. Edition ed., Publisher, Edition publication year. MLA Works Cited entry.

  9. 5. Cite Your Sources

    5. Cite Your Sources in MLA Format. Here are a few examples to help you cite your sources in MLA format: How to Cite Part of a Book or Ebook (Print or Electronic) Format: Author(s). "Title of Part." Title of Book, edited by Editor, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic), URL. Example: Parsloe, Sarah M ...

  10. Citing a Speech

    In order to properly cite a presidential speech, you need to know the following pieces of information: Speaker's first and last name. Speech's title. Date the speech was delivered. Editor's name (if applicable) If you found the speech in a book, you should also take note of the following: Book's title. First and last name of the book ...

  11. MLA In-Text Citations

    An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information. This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text ...

  12. MLA In-text Citations

    Revised on March 5, 2024. An MLA in-text citation provides the author's last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by " et al. ". If the part you're citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.

  13. Citing Sources: Citing Orally in Speeches

    Provide a caption citation for all direct quotations and /or relevant images on your PowerPoint slides. Direct Quotations: These should be acknowledged in your speech or presentation either as "And I quote…" or "As [the source] put it…". Book: Include title and author: "According to April Jones, author of Readings on Gender…".

  14. MLA 9th Edition

    This guide contains information on MLA 9th edition citation style including: how to cite sources for the Works Cited page at the end of your paper; how to do in-text citations within the body of your work; sample research papers and Microsoft Word templates; additional resources (books, websites, citation generators) information on writing tutors

  15. How to Cite a Book in MLA

    Cite your book. *Keep "https:" at the beginning of the URL only when citing a DOI. Digital sources with no page numbers means that no page numbers should be included in the in-text citation. In-text Citation. Structure. (Last Names) OR Last Names. Example. (Austen and Grahame-Smith) OR Austen and Grahame-Smith.

  16. How to Properly to Cite Dialogue in MLA

    3. Place the page number or range in parentheses after the quote. If you haven't mentioned the author in the text of your paper, include their last name first. Then, type only the page number, or the first page of the range and last page of the range, separated by a hyphen. Place a period outside the closing parenthesis.

  17. How to Cite a Lecture in MLA (8th Edition)

    Revised on March 5, 2024. In MLA style, the following format is used to cite a lecture or speech. MLA format. Speaker last name, First name. " Lecture Title .". Course or Event Name, Day Month Year, Venue, City. MLA Works Cited entry. Dent, Gina. "Anchored to the Real: Black Literature in the Wake of Anthropology.".

  18. MLA Formatting Quotations

    MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  19. How to Cite a Book

    To cite a book chapter, first give the author and title (in quotation marks) of the chapter cited, then information about the book as a whole and the page range of the specific chapter. The in-text citation lists the author of the chapter and the page number of the relevant passage. MLA format. Author last name, First name.

  20. FAQ: How do I cite a MindEdge textbook or resource in MLA style?

    The proper way to cite MindEdge resources can vary by department, course, and instructor, so always be sure to check with your professor about how they would like you to cite MindEdge resources. However, the following are examples of how MindEdge resources could be cited based on the MLA citation manual guidelines: Works Cited Page

  21. MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

    Note: The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.