How to Cite a Class Lecture in MLA Format

Of course you must cite textbooks, magazine articles and other scholarly material when you write a term paper or compile a research project. But did you know that you should also cite information from class notes and lecture material? Lecture notes are a valid source of information and a great place to start if you are not sure where to begin on your project, but do not neglect to give your professor or a guest lecturer their citation for a number of reasons. First, you can be accused of plagiarism if your professor is particularly zealous, but more importantly, class notes provide another variety of source material, which increases your credibility and will help you reach a goal-number of references, which many instructors require.

Things You'll Need

  • Speaker's name
  • Date of lecture
  • Location of lecture
  • Meeting or event that occasioned the lecture
  • Type of lecture
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin with the speaker's name. It should be written last name, first name, middle initial, and should be followed by a period. If you do not have all of this information, then use as much as you have. For example, if the speaker's name is Kenneth Juggernaut, then your citation should begin:

      Juggernaut, Kenneth.

    • 2

      Identify the type of lecture.

      If the speaker was your professor, then you can simply label the event "Class Lecture." However, if the speaker was a guest or other visiting instructor, then you may label the event "Guest Lecture." At this point, your citation will look similar to this:

      Juggernaut, Kenneth. Class Lecture.

    • 3

      Follow with the name of the class and another period.

      If your instructor titles his lectures, then you will need to use the day's title. However, most professors do not do this, and you will usually be able to simply call the lecture by the class title. This is the way that the class is identified that does not require a number code. For example, instead of English 101, you should use "Introduction to the English Language." Your citation should presently appear in this form:

      Juggernaut, Kenneth. Class Lecture. Introduction to the English Language.

    • 4

      List the location of the delivery, including the venue, city and state.

      All of these items should be separated by commas, and the state can be abbreviated according to postal codes. For example, if the class took place at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, then your citation should now read:

      Juggernaut, Kenneth. Class Lecture. Introduction to the English Language. University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

    • 5

      Finish with the date of the lecture.

      This should take the form " day month year" and be followed by a period. The month can be abbreviated using the first three letters and no period. For example, if the lecture notes are from January 19, 2004, then the finished citation should read:

      Juggernaut, Kenneth. Class Lecture. Introduction to the English Language. University of Georgia, Athens, GA. 19 Jan 2004.

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