MLA 9th Edition — Lectures & Slides

MLA 9 Citation Generator for Lectures and PowerPoints

Cite class lectures, recorded talks, and PowerPoint slides in MLA 9 format. Unlike APA, MLA includes in-person lectures in the Works Cited list.

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How to cite a lecture or powerpoint in MLA

Search for the lecture or powerpoint

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

Check the MLA formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete MLA citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

MLA 9 Format for Lectures and Slides

YouTube / online lecture:

Speaker Last, First. "Title." YouTube, uploaded by Channel, Day Month Year, URL

University-hosted recorded lecture:

Speaker Last, First. "Title." Department, University Name, Day Month Year, URL

In-person class lecture:

Speaker Last, First. "Title." Course Name, Day Month Year, Location

PowerPoint slides (online):

Author Last, First. Title of Slides. Course or Site, Year, URL

MLA 9 Lecture Citation Examples

YouTube lecture

Lastname, Firstname. "Title of the Lecture." YouTube, uploaded by University Channel, 15 Mar. 2024, youtube.com/watch?v=exampleID.

Paste the YouTube URL

Recorded university lecture (with URL)

Lastname, Firstname. "Title of the Lecture." Department Name, University Name, 3 Apr. 2024, university.edu/lectures/example.

University hosts the recording

In-class lecture (in-person)

Lastname, Firstname. "Title of the Lecture." Course Name, 3 Apr. 2024, Room 101, University Name.

Include course, date, and physical location

PowerPoint slides (retrievable online)

Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Lecture Slides. Course Name, University Name, 2024, open-site.edu/slides/example.pptx.

Italicize title when standalone; include URL

Examples formatted in MLA style

MLA vs. APA for Lectures

A key difference that trips up students: MLA 9 includes in-person class lectures in the Works Cited; APA 7 treats them as personal communication (in-text only, no reference entry). Use MLA 9 rules here; use the APA lecture page for APA.

MLA 9 (this page)

All lectures — in-person, recorded, online — get a full Works Cited entry.

APA 7

Only publicly retrievable lectures in the reference list. In-class/closed LMS = personal communication. See APA rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cite a lecture in MLA 9?

MLA 9 template: Speaker Last, First. "Title of the Lecture." Course Name or Event, Date, Location. OR for recorded/online: Speaker Last, First. "Title." Container (YouTube, University), Date, URL. MLA 9 treats in-person and online lectures differently — in-person gets location, online gets container + URL.

How do I cite a YouTube lecture in MLA 9?

Template: Speaker Last, First. "Title of the Lecture." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL. Example: Lastname, Firstname. "Title of the Lecture." YouTube, uploaded by University Channel, 15 Mar. 2024, youtube.com/watch?v=exampleID. The "uploaded by" element credits the channel when different from the speaker.

How do I cite a PowerPoint in MLA 9?

Template for publicly retrievable slides: Author Last, First. Title of Slides. Course Name or Site Name, Date, URL. MLA 9 treats slide decks as unpublished manuscripts when only shared in class and as digital works with URL when public. Italicize the title when it stands alone as a work.

Do I put an in-class lecture in the Works Cited?

Yes, unlike APA. MLA 9 includes in-person class lectures in the Works Cited list. Template: Speaker Last, First. "Title of the Lecture." Course Name, Date, Location (room or venue). This differs from APA 7, which treats non-retrievable lectures as personal communication (no reference entry).

How do I cite a lecture with no title?

Use a descriptor in place of the title: [Lecture on topic] or [Class lecture]. Example: Lastname, Firstname. [Class lecture on 19th-century poetry]. Course Name, Date, Location. The bracket signals that the descriptor is your own, not an official title.

What goes in the in-text citation for a lecture?

MLA uses author-page format by default, but lectures typically have no pages. Cite just the author last name: (Lastname). Or narrative: "Lastname argues that...". If the lecture has a title and is included in Works Cited, the in-text matches the first element of the entry.

How do I cite class discussion or group conversation?

MLA does not formally cite class discussions or group conversations — they're typically cited only if a specific person made a specific claim you're quoting. Format as: Lastname, Firstname. [Class discussion on topic]. Course Name, University, Date. Use sparingly; this is not an authoritative source.