FAQ: How do I cite a speech in Chicago style?

The Chicago Manual of Style is currently in its 17th edition. 

NOTE: For lectures, papers presented at meetings, and speeches that are published in other sources, the Chicago Manual of Style indicates that the material should be cited in the medium it was published.  For example, if the lecture was published in a book, cite it as a chapter in a book.  For live lectures, paper presentations, and speeches, see the formats below.  

Lectures at Meetings

Notes and Bibliography

For notes and bibliography style (see section 14.217: Lectures, papers presented at meetings This link opens in a new window, of the Chicago Manual of Style).

The sponsorship, location, and date of the meeting at which a speech was given or a paper presented follow the title. This information, like that following a thesis title, is put in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography. 

For Example

Note

2. Stacy D’Erasmo, “The Craft and Career of Writing” (lecture, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, April 26, 2000).

Bibliography

Teplin, Linda A., Gary M. McClelland, Karen M. Abram, and Jason J. Washburn. “Early Violent Death in Delinquent Youth: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, La Jolla, CA, March 2005.

Author-Date

The Author-Date section of the Chicago Style does not include an example for Lectures. In this case, see Section 15.3 of the Manual. It says in part that “Most of the examples in chapter 14 are readily adapted to the author-date style—in almost all cases by a different ordering or arrangement of elements.” For the in-text (parenthetical) citation, you would use this basic format: (Author Last Name, Year).  See Section 14.226 of the manual for whether a bibliography entry is needed (it will depend upon how you accessed the lecture).

Speeches

Notes and Bibliography

For notes and bibliography style (see section 14.264 Recorded readings, lectures, audiobooks, and the like This link opens in a new window, of the Chicago Manual of Style).

Audio recordings are treated much like musical recordings. 

For Example

Note

3. Calvin Coolidge, “Equal Rights” (speech), ca. 1920, in “American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election, 1918–1920,” Library of Congress, copy of an undated 78 rpm disc, RealAudio and WAV formats, 3:45, https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-and-1920-election-recordings/about-this-collection/.

4. Eleanor Roosevelt, “Is America Facing World Leadership?,” convocation speech, Ball State Teacher’s College, May 6, 1959, Muncie, IN, radio broadcast, reel-to-reel tape, MPEG copy, 1:12:49, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/ElRoos/id/1.

Author-Date

For author-date style (see section 15.57 Citing recordings and multimedia in author-date format This link opens in a new window, of the Chicago Manual of Style) the manual states that Audiovisual recordings and other multimedia can be cited in author-date format by adapting the recommendations and examples outlined and exemplified in 14.261–68 This link opens in a new window. 

For Example

In-Text

(Coolidge [1920?])

References Page

Coolidge, Calvin. [1920?]. “Equal Rights” (speech). In “American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election, 1918–1920.” Library of Congress. Copy of an undated 78 rpm disc, RealAudio and WAV formats, 3:45. https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-and-1920-election-recordings/about-this-collection/.

More Help

• Chicago Style (Shapiro Library)

Disclaimer

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.