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…
Introducing… Scopus
Scopus is one of the largest and most trusted academic databases, indexing millions of peer‑reviewed articles, conference papers, books, and preprints across every major discipline. Scopus contains more than 100 million records and over 30,000 ...
Do you know what makes a Technical Report special?
Writing a technical report is a little different to writing a lab report or an essay for your tutors, requiring a different approach, communication skills and format. What are technical reports? Technical reports are formal, ...
Norman C. T. Liu scholarships providing the next generation of opportunities to succeed in Air Transport Management
Cranfield University is proud to work with global industry leaders who believe in investing in the next generation of aviation professionals. One of those leaders, Norman C. T. Liu, has personally committed to supporting ...
Designing the future of space: My group design project experience at Cranfield
For three years, I worked at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in India. While my time in the IT sector provided me with a strong analytical foundation, my true passion had always been anchored in ...
How do I reference lecture notes… in the NLM style?
If your course material contains original content that you want to use in your work, it will need to be referenced as follows: What information do you need in the reference? Author – surname initials e.g. ...
From Nigeria to Cranfield: My journey into Future Food Sustainability
My name is Jolaosho Eniola, and I’m studying the MSc in Future Food Sustainability. I’m originally from Nigeria, and I’m passionate about food systems, food sustainability, food supply chain and creating solutions that improve ...
