10 Citing Sources in Your Speech
<A> OBJECTIVES
To cite your sources to enhance your own authority and demonstrate solid support for your
reasoning.
To offer key source information.
To demonstrate the source’s trustworthiness.
To avoid a mechanical delivery of sources.
To credit sources in presentation aids.
To identify whether you are summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting a source.
<A> CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Alerting listeners to key source information
A. Audiences are most persuaded by speakers who support their positions with
trustworthy and authoritative sources.
B. An oral citation credits the source of speech material that is derived from other
people’s ideas.
1. Speakers should always cite sources at the same time that they present the
information derived from them.
2. Audiences should be alerted to the author or origin of the source, the type
of source, the title or description of the source, and the date of the source.
C. Spoken citations need not include a complete bibliographic reference, but
speakers should keep a running list of source details for a bibliography to appear
at the end of a speech draft or outline.
D. Citations should be presented in a rhetorically effective manner.
II. Establishing the source’s trustworthiness
A. Source credibility refers to our level of trust in a source’s credentials and track
record for providing accurate information.
B. Speakers should offer a mix of reliable and credible sources, rather than a single
source, when supporting a major speech point, as even the most reliable source
can sometimes be inaccurate.
C. Offering a source qualifier, a brief description of the source’s qualifications to
address the topic, can help demonstrate a source’s trustworthiness.
III. Avoiding a mechanical delivery
A. Audiences expect and prefer a natural style of delivery, so acknowledging sources
should not interrupt the flow of your speech.
B. Vary the wording of your source citations, alternating introductory phrases.
C. Speakers can introduce variety by leading with the claim before acknowledging
the source.
IV. Giving oral citations
A. Common types of sources cited in a speech and the citation elements to mention
are included here (be sure to include a source qualifier):
1. Book: If a book has two or fewer authors, state first and last names, title,
and date of publication. If three or more authors, state first and last name of
first author and “coauthors.”
2. Reference work: For a reference work (e.g., atlas, directory, encyclopedia,
almanac), note title, date of publication, and author or sponsoring
organization.
3. Print article: When citing from a print article, use the same guidelines as
you do for a book.
4. Online-only magazine, newspaper, or journal: Follow the same guidelines
as for a book, and identify the publication as an “online magazine,” “online
newspaper,” or “online journal.”
5. Organization website: Name the website, section of website cited (if
applicable), and last update.
6. Blog: Name the blogger, affiliated website (if applicable), and date of
posting.
7. Television or radio program: If you are citing a television or radio program,
name the program, segment, reporter, and date aired.
8. Online video: For online videos, name the online video source, program,
segment, and date aired (if applicable).
9. Testimony: Name the person and date and context in which information
was offered.
10. Interview or other personal communication: Name the person and date of
interview.
V. Crediting sources in presentation aids
A. Presentation aids derived from others’ work should also be acknowledged.
B. When using copyrighted material, such as a photograph, clearly label it with a
copyright symbol (©) and source information.
C. Even when supporting material content is not copyrighted, it should be cited
either orally or printed unobtrusively on the visual aid, or both.
VI. Properly citing facts and statistics
A. Facts that are considered common knowledge require no oral citation, but all other
information should be orally cited in your speech.
B. When using statistics to add credibility to your speech claims, make sure to tell
listeners what the numbers actually mean, use terms that describe them accurately,
and reveal the methods and scope of the research.
VII. Properly citing summarized, paraphrased, and quoted information
A. Information that is not the speaker’s own may be cited in several forms.
1. A summary briefly overviews someone else’s ideas, opinions, or theories.
2. A paraphrase restates someone else’s ideas, opinions, or theories in the
speaker’s own words.
3. A direct quotation is a statement made verbatim by someone else.
<A> KEY TERMS
oral citation an oral acknowledgment by a speaker of the source of speech material that is
derived from other people’s ideas.
source credibility a contemporary term for ethos; refers to our level of trust in a source’s
credentials and track record for providing accurate information.
source qualifier a brief description of the source’s qualifications to address the topic (e.g.,
“Pulitzer-Prize–winning author,” “researcher at the Mayo Clinic”).
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What do you accomplish when you credit speech sources?
Crediting your speech sources is a critical aspect of delivering a speech or presentation. When
What is an oral citation and when should you use them?
What elements should be present in an oral citation?
How can a speaker establish the source’s trustworthiness?
How can a speaker avoid a mechanical delivery of his or her speech sources?
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you respond to a speaker’s claims when he or she cites credible sources? How do
you respond when he or she does not cite any speech sources?
This question is designed to get students talking about the importance of citing sources within
What are some examples of credible speech sources? What are some examples of
questionable speech sources?
Students are likely to list sources such as national periodicals, newspapers, television shows, and
What are the ethical implications of failing to cite speech sources?
Speakers who fail to cite speech sources can be guilty of plagiarism. Take this opportunity to
What are the most important features of a source that contribute to its trustworthiness or
credibility? When people are used as sources, is being famous the only requirement?
Consider talk-show hosts. Would they be considered credible experts on the topics
discussed on their shows? What about their guests?
Some important features of a source’s credibility are expertise, goodwill, proper use of sources,
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may help you illustrate important points in the chapter and facilitate
students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
homework questions
quizzes
in-class work (individually or in groups)
topics to generate discussion
question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
What elements should be included in an oral citation?
The author or origin of the source
The type of source
The title or description of the source
The date of the source
What is source reliability?
What is a source qualifier?
What are the guidelines for citing statistics in a speech?
ACTIVITIES
Is It Trustworthy?
Purpose: To help students learn to evaluate the trustworthiness of various speech sources.
Instructions: As a class, decide on a speech topic that would be interesting. As a homework
assignment, have students locate a speech source that could be used to support the speech topic.
When students return to class with their sources, compile a list on the board and take time to
evaluate each source for trustworthiness. Ask students to defend their claims according to the
guidelines presented in Chapter 10.
Summary, Paraphrase, or Direct Quote?
Purpose: To teach students to identify different ways to present source citations.
Instructions: After speeches have been presented, ask students to review their outlines for the
different types of citations they utilized. You may consider having them turn in an additional
outline which notates summaries, paraphrases, or direct quotations.
Practicing Oral Citations
Purpose: To give students practice creating oral citations.
Instructions: Before class, locate several different types of supporting material (book, magazine
article, online article, newspaper, etc.) and bring them to class. In groups, ask students to write an
oral citation of a direct quote in their source that includes all of the necessary elements discussed
in Chapter 10. Additionally, you can ask students to write a citation for information they would
paraphrase or summarize. Groups can present their citations to the class and discuss source
reliability.
Orally Citing a Book
Purpose: To help students gain experience orally citing books.
Instructions: Locate a book on a topic of your choosing. Write two different ways that you
could orally cite this source within a speech.
Students should be reminded of the four components of an oral citation: the author or origin of
the source, the type of source, the title or description of the source, and the date of the source.
This assignment could be completed inside or outside of class. This activity also works well for
online courses.
Diversifying Sources
Purpose: To challenge students to find speech support from three different types of sources; to
encourage students to look beyond web research.
Instructions: Locate a source for each of the following types of speech sources: a print article, a
website, and a television or radio program. Once you have located these sources, evaluate the
trustworthiness of each source for your chosen topic. Answer the following questions: Will using
these sources help me establish credibility? How do I know these sources are trustworthy?
This assignment can be done by individuals or small groups. Have students present their findings
to the class. This activity also works well for online courses.
Summarize, Paraphrase, Quote
Purpose: To allow students to gain experience creating and citing a summary and a paraphrase;
to teach students how to orally cite direct quotations.
Instructions: Locate some recent research relating to a topic of your choosing. Then write a
citation for this information in the form of a summary, a paraphrase, and a direct quotation.
This assignment will allow students the opportunity to practice different ways to cite sources.
Each individual will benefit from learning how to vary his or her wording when using citations.
Consider having students present their citations to the class so that they may practice their
delivery as well. Students often fail to realize that paraphrasing information without citing the
source can be considered plagiarism. This activity helps reinforce the ethical importance of
crediting sources.
IV. GROUP ACTIVITIES
Brainstorm Possible Source Material
Purpose: To leverage the power of a group to help students think of source material for an
upcoming speech.
Instructions: In groups, consider your upcoming speech topics. Then create a list of sources that
would be considered credible and reliable for your topics. You can identify types of sources
(Chapters 8 and 9) and/or specific individuals/types of individuals that would be appropriate to
cite.
This activity is helpful because it requires students to review material taught in previous
chapters. It also gives students the opportunity to get feedback from classmates regarding their
upcoming speech topics. Remind students that this is another way to analyze the audience.
Evaluating for Proper Oral Citation
