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

 

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 as a container:

Fu, Yige. “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/20221480302

 

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.