MLA is a citation style commonly used in arts, humanities, and language courses.1 Every source you reference needs to be cited to avoid plagiarism claims, including PowerPoint slides. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA.
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How to cite a PowerPoint in MLA – In a Nutshell
- Learning how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA is a must if you’re taking a humanities, arts, or language course.
- The citation guidelines vary depending on where you viewed the presentation (online or in person).
- There are also specific guidelines for citing reproduced content.
- Follow the advice in this article to ensure your coursework meets academic standards.
Definition: How to Cite a PowerPoint in MLA
If you want to know how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA style, the first thing you need to remember is that how you cite it depends on the medium used to view the content.
You may have seen the PowerPoint you are referencing online, or you may have seen it in person as part of a presentation.
If you need to learn how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA, you should also know that the citation has two parts: the in-text citation and the works cited entry, which is placed at the end of the essay. That applies to all PowerPoint citations, irrespective of the medium used to view them.
Let’s look at an example of how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA, in situations where you viewed it online.
Example:
| MLA works cited entry: | Peterson, Anna. “The organizational impact of remote work.” SlideShare, 12 March 2021, www.slideshare.net/AnnaPetersonPhD/impact-of-remote-work. |
| MLA in-text citation: | (Peterson, slide 4) |
How to cite a PowerPoint in MLA: In Person
If you watched a presentation in person and need to know how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA, you need to reference it by specifying where you viewed the presentation.
Example:
| MLA works cited entry: | Rogers, Julian. “Statistical analysis in Psychology.” Psychology 101, 12 October 2018, University of Chicago, Illinois. PowerPoint presentation. |
| MLA in-text citation: | (Rogers, slide 12) |
How to cite a PowerPoint in MLA: Reproduced content
Sometimes, you may want to cite reproduced content from a PowerPoint, instead of the entire presentation. For example, you want to reference a quote, an artwork, or an image included in a presentation, which is attributed to another person (not to the presentation’s author).
How to cite a PowerPoint in MLA in this case? Try to quote the primary source.2
Example:
| MLA works cited entry: | Van Gogh, Vincent. The Bedroom. 1889. Post-Impressionism, taught by Andrew Miller, 15 May 2015, Stanford University, California. Slide 18. |
| MLA in-text citation: | (Miller, slide 18) |
FAQs
This depends on the medium used to view the content. There are specific guidelines for presentations viewed online and in-person.
Yes, following the guidelines for how to cite a PowerPoint in MLA “Reproduced content”.
Use the source title instead of the author’s name.
It’s better to cite the online version, so the reader can access the content directly.
Sources
1 University Libraries. “Citations & Style Guide.” October 11, 2022. https://guides.library.unt.edu/citations-style-guides/mla.
2 Wageningen University & Research. “How do I cite a source I found in another source?” Accessed January 4, 2023. https://www.wur.nl/en/article/how-do-i-cite-a-source-i-found-in-another-source.htm.