CHAPTER 10
Citing Sources in Your Speech
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Orally acknowledge speech sources in order to . . .
A. Increase the odds that audience members will believe in your message.
B. Demonstrate the quality and wide range of your research.
C. Demonstrate that reliable sources support your position.
II. Alert listeners to key source information.
A. Oral citations credit the source of speech material that is derived from other people’s
ideas.
B. For each source, plan on alerting the audience to the following:
2. Type of source
4. Date of the source
C. Establish the source’s trustworthiness.
2. Consider the audience’s perception of sources; audience analysis should play a role in
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D. Qualify the source.
1. To demonstrate a source’s trustworthiness, offer a source qualifier, a brief
description of the qualifications, affiliations, and credentials that establish the
source’s credibility to address the topic.
III. Avoid a mechanical delivery.
IV. Types of sources and sample oral citations
A. In addition to the citation elements that need to be mentioned for each source cited, each
needs to have a source qualifier to show why the source is credible. Types of sources
include:
1. Book
3. Article in a journal, newspaper, or magazine
5. Blog
7. Online video
9. Interview and other personal communication
KEY TERMS
common knowledge information that is likely to be known by many people and is therefore in the
public domain and does not need attribution
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oral citation means of crediting the source of speech material derived from other people’s works
or ideas
source credibility a contemporary term for ethos; refers to our level of belief in a source’s
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What is the function of orally crediting speech sources?
Crediting speech sources demonstrates that you have a range of research, helps you avoid
plagiarism, and supports your credibility as an ethical speaker. It also enhances your ability to win
What four pieces of information about the source should be passed on to the audience?
1. Author or origin of the source
3. Title or a description of the source
4. Date of the source
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Why is it important to cite all the key citation elements for each source?
The key details are what help the audience accept the source as reliable and trustworthy. In
Why is it important to avoid a mechanical delivery when acknowledging sources?
A formulaic delivery of source information can interrupt the flow of your speech and bore your
II. DISCUSSION QUESTION
1. How can using a source qualifier make the difference between winning or losing acceptance
for your supporting material?
Sources vary in quality and credibility; including a source qualifier, or description of the
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Bring in examples of speeches seen on television or heard on the radio.
Ask students to identify the instances of oral citation in the speeches. Did the speaker name
all the necessary information that should be shared with the audience about a source? Were a
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II. GROUP ACTIVITY
1. Form groups of three to five students and assign each group a type of source (book, print
article, online-only magazine, website, blog, online video, testimony—lay and expert, and
personal interview). Have them decide what citation elements need to be mentioned when
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to 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
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2. What citation elements are needed for a book?
3. What citation elements are needed for a print article?
4. What citation elements are needed for an online-only magazine?
5. What citation elements are needed for a website?
6. What citation elements are needed for a blog?
7. What citation elements are needed for an online video?
8. What citation elements are needed for lay or expert testimony?
9. What citation elements are needed for a personal interview?
The name of the person, a source qualifier, and the date of the interview.
ACTIVITY
What Should We Do This Weekend?
Purpose: To give students practice using oral citation skills.
Instructions: Each student should prepare a recommendation of a fun weekend activity, such as
“We should go see [film title] at the local movie theater,” “We should attend [community event],”
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Modern Language Association. (2016). MLA handbook for writers of research papers (8th ed.).
New York, NY: Author.
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
American Psychological Association <www.apastyle.org>
Chicago Manual of Style <www.chicagomanualofstyle.org>