How do I reference…when delivering a presentation?
19/01/2026

Just as you cite and reference sources in written work, you should also acknowledge the sources you use or quote in oral presentations. Citing your sources in presentations provides your audience with information about the supporting evidence in the sources you are using and brings a touch of professionalism to your delivery.
However, the methods used for referencing in presentations are slightly different to those used in written work.
There are two methods for citing and referencing in presentations:
1. In-text citations on the slides
Use small fonts, superscript, or numbers to maintain visual appearance of the presentation, then add:
a) A small font reference as a footnote on the same slide as the citation (see Fig. 1 and 2), OR
b) A list of all the references used on the last slide (see Fig. 3 and 4)

Fig 1. Example of in-text citations and footnotes on a presentation slide.

Fig 2. Example of using numbers and footnotes to indicate source.

Fig 3. Example of simplified referencing using just in-text citations, this must be paired with a full reference list at the end (see Fig. 4).

Fig 4. Full reference list on final slide of the presentation.
2. Verbal citations
Provide citations verbally to your audience in your speech and include full details written on the final slide (see Fig. 4 and 5). In your speech, provide if you can:
a) Date
b) Name of author
c) Publication
d) Credentials of author
e) Add a full reference list on the last slide
Remember, you need to provide enough information to your audience to make your claims credible.
- Don’t verbally state an author name without any credentials.
- If you provide a statistic, back it up with a source.

Fig 5. How to present verbal citations correctly. Adapted from Davison (2015).
Final points
You can choose to use the method you are most comfortable with or mix and match. The key thing to remember is to cite and reference your sources to avoid plagiarism and inform your audience.
Please note: Cranfield supports two different referencing styles – APA7 (Author-date) and Numbered (NLM). Please make sure you use the style preferred by your supervisor or lecturer.
References
Davison, J. (2015, April 24). Orally citing a source in a speech [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eP0bfnRlJVY?si=_AkvaGf8saW0D3gl
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
My journey to Cranfield as an FIA Motorsport Engineering Scholar
"You don’t need to fit a stereotype to succeed in engineering or motorsport. You need curiosity. Resilience. And the confidence to take up space." In this blog, Sanya Jain, current MSc student and FIA ...
‘Getting started with Bloomberg’ training – discover the power of Bloomberg terminals
Perhaps you've heard people talking about Bloomberg or heard it mentioned in the news and are wondering what all the fuss is about? Why not come along and find out at our Getting started with ...
Commonwealth Scholarships play a critical role in developing sustainability and leadership in Africa
Q&A with Evah Mosetlhane, Sustainability MSc, Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholar What inspired you to pursue the Sustainability MSc at Cranfield? I was inspired to pursue the Sustainability MSc at Cranfield because of the university’s ...
How do I reference a thesis… in the NLM style?
You may be including theses within your research. When you do so you need to treat them in the same way as content taken from any other source, by providing both a citation and a ...
Introducing… Bloomberg Trade Flows
Are you interested in world trade flows? Would it be useful to know which nations are your country's major trading partners? If so, the Bloomberg terminal has a rather nifty function where you can view ...
Cranfield alumni voyage to the International Space Station
Seeing our alumni reach the International Space Station (ISS) has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the space sector. For school students questioning whether science is “for them”, for undergraduates weighing their next ...

Comments are closed.