Useful Tips How to Cite a Presentation
Citing a PowerPoint poster presentation is effortless. This can be done in many ways, depending on the style you are required to perform. You, therefore, need to know beforehand the citation style you should be using. We have three common citation styles that are typically used, which are the AMA, APA, and MLA styles. Each of these styles has different specifications and formatting rules for the presentations.
How to cite a conference presentation – a short explanation
Usually, conference presentations are unpublished. Like any other ordinary conference proceedings, the purpose of quoting a conference paper is to ensure that we document the name of the conference and also add any information about a specific article or presentation being cited. Apart from that, the conference information should also be included, such as the conference name, date, and location, if not mentioned in the proceedings title.
Any publication information will not be included in such a citation because, in most cases, a conference paper is unpublished; however, information such as the type of document and the year it was published is essential. Additionally, since the text lacks a publisher, it is also necessary to include information on where the document can be accessed. Just like any other citation in the Works Cited, it is essential to gather as much information about the conference presentation as possible.
To cite a poster presentation, please follow these tips:
Structure:
Last name, first name. Title of an unpublished conference paper. Title of the conference, location, and date of the conference. Unpublished conference paper. The institution holding the document, the Location of the institution, and the year of access. Print.
Example:
Jason, Brown. Effects of Global Warming. Global Environmental Summit, May 2008, Zurich, Switzerland. Unpublished conference paper. Northwestern University Library, Evanston, 2008. Print.
How to cite a presentation in APA Style
- In-text citations
This follows the general APA guideline. In case you have directly quoted or made a paraphrase of a part of a PowerPoint presentation, you need to include its in-text citation. You need to add the presenter or author’s name, followed by the year it was published, separated by a comma, and all should be enclosed in brackets.
Ideally, APA citation style does not incorporate the use of footnotes or endnotes.
For example: (Brown, 2017).
- Reference List
You should add a reference list at the end of the paper. The reference list comprises all sources cited in the in-text citations. If an in-text citation is repeated in the presentation, it should just be listed once in the reference list.
How to compile a reference list
- The author’s or presenter’s name should be written starting with the surname, then the initial of the first name, separated by a comma, and then end with a period. If there is another name, write the first initial of the second name after the first. For example, “Brown, PK.”
- This should be followed by year it was presented or published online. The year should be written in round brackets. If you are not sure of the year, then ignore it and replace it with the date you accessed the presentation online. For example, “Brown PK. (2017)”
- State the presentation title. This should be done in italics. After which, the format of the presentation should be written in square brackets.
Points to note:
If the presentation was accessed online, then the format should be written as [PowerPoint Slides]
If you have the copy of the presentation, then the format should be [Lecture]
For example:
Brown, PK. (2017) Effects of Global Warming [PowerPoint slides]
- If you accessed the presentation online, you should include the phrase “Retrieved from” before adding the website.
For example:
Brown, PK. (2017) Effects of Global Warming [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101
Smith, AA. (2025) How to Make a Business Presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://decksy.com/blog/
How to Cite a Poster Presentation in AMA
A poster presentation falls under the category of unpublished material because it might have been presented at a conference but not published.
In AMA, they can be cited in the following form:
Name(s) of the presenter(s). Title of the presentation. Paper Presented at:
For example:
Jason, Brown.” Effects of Global Warming.” Paper Presented at Global Environmental Summit,
Zurich, Switzerland.
How to Cite a Presentation in MLA
- Use footnotes and endnotes
MLA citation style allows the use of either footnotes or endnotes to refer to any sources cited in a paper. For a footnote, you should ensure that you mark the exact point where you want to add the same with a superscript and then transfer the full citation at the bottom of that page. If you are using the endnotes, move the full citation at the end of the paper under the work cited. They should follow the alphabetical order.
- Writing the name of the author or presenter
If you want to quote a PowerPoint presentation that you received from a lecture, begin with citing the name of the presenter. Start with the last name, followed by the first, separated by a comma. The same should also be done in case the PowerPoint presentation was accessed online.
For example: “Jason, Brown.”
- Add information about the lecture or conference
If the PowerPoint presentation that you want to cite a poster presentation was from a lecture or a conference makes sure you add information about the conference or the event. This includes the name of the conference, the venue, the location, and the date. Also, add the type of lecture.
For example:
Jason, Brown.” Effects of Global Warming.” Global Environmental Summit, Zurich,
Switzerland. Nov. 23, 2008. Keynote address.
- Include the digital medium used
If the PowerPoint presentation you want to cite was obtained online, then you need to add the date the presentation was created in place of the information on the lecture or conference. This should come after the name of the author and the title. You should also include the type of digital medium used for the item, rather than the type of lecture.
Point to note:
The date should not be written in full; rather, the month should be abbreviated with its first three letters.
For example:
Jason, Brown.” Effects of Global Warming.” Dec. 2017. PowerPoint presentation.
