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How to Cite a TED Talk in MLA (9th edition)

Learn how to cite TED Talks and recorded conference talks in MLA format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

MLA Works Cited Format

Here is the standard MLA format for citing a TED Talk in your Works Cited page:

Speaker Last Name, First Name. "Title of Talk." TED, Month Year, www.ted.com/talks/xxxxx.

MLA In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Speaker)

Narrative

In the talk, Speaker explains...

Key MLA Formatting Rules

  • Put the talk title in quotation marks; italicize the container ("TED" for ted.com, "YouTube" for YouTube).
  • List the speaker first when you are emphasizing the speaker's ideas.
  • Give the month and year of the talk and end with the URL (omit the http:// scheme).
  • Add an access date after the URL if no upload date is shown.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your TED Talk.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the MLA (9th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your Works Cited: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match MLA requirements.

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Cite a TED Talk in Other Styles

TED Talk in APATED Talk in ChicagoTED Talk in HarvardTED Talk in VancouverTED Talk in IEEETED Talk in AMATED Talk in TurabianTED Talk in CSETED Talk in BibTeXTED Talk in NatureTED Talk in ACSTED Talk in OSCOLATED Talk in BluebookTED Talk in AGLCTED Talk in ASATED Talk in APSATED Talk in AAATED Talk in NLMTED Talk in ACMTED Talk in APSTED Talk in AIPTED Talk in CellTED Talk in ScienceTED Talk in PLOSTED Talk in BMJTED Talk in LancetTED Talk in JAMATED Talk in Elsevier HarvardTED Talk in Springer

Cite Other Sources in MLA

Website in MLABook in MLAJournal Article in MLAYouTube Video in MLAPodcast in MLANewspaper Article in MLAMagazine Article in MLABlog Post in MLAWikipedia in MLAPDF in MLAInterview in MLASocial Media Post in MLAGovernment Document in MLADissertation or Thesis in MLAConference Paper in MLALecture or PowerPoint in MLAImage or Photograph in MLAMovie or Film in MLATV Show in MLASong or Music in MLACourt Case in MLAPatent in MLAEncyclopedia Entry in MLADictionary Entry in MLADataset in MLASoftware or App in MLAPress Release in MLAReport in MLABook Chapter in MLAChatGPT in MLABible in MLA

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