How to Cite a Lecture or Presentation in Chicago 17th Edition (Notes-Bibliography)

This guide explains how to format a lecture or presentation citation in Chicago 17th Edition (Notes-Bibliography). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a lecture or presentation in Chicago 17th Edition (Notes-Bibliography):

Template

Note: Speaker First Last, "Title of Lecture" (lecture, Institution, City, Month Day, Year). Bibliography: Last, First. "Title of Lecture." Lecture, Institution, City, Month Day, Year.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

1. Maryam Mirzakhani, "Dynamics on Moduli Spaces" (lecture, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, October 5, 2016).

Bibliography Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your bibliography:

Bibliography entry

Mirzakhani, Maryam. "Dynamics on Moduli Spaces." Lecture, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, October 5, 2016.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Name the speaker
In notes, use First Name Last Name. In the bibliography, invert the first speaker's name.
2
Write the lecture title
Place the title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization.
3
Indicate the format
In notes, place the format description in parentheses beginning with "lecture," followed by the institution and location. In the bibliography, write "Lecture," after the title.
4
Add the institution and location
Include the name of the university, organization, or event, followed by the city and state/country.
5
Include the date
Provide the full date in Month Day, Year format.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the word 'lecture' (or 'paper presented at') to indicate the format.
Forgetting to include the institution or event where the lecture was delivered.
Not placing the lecture title in quotation marks.
Leaving out the city or location of the institution.
Confusing a lecture with a conference paper — lectures are standalone talks, not peer-reviewed submissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a lecture I attended but that was not published?

Cite it in a note with all available details (speaker, title, institution, date). Unpublished lectures are generally cited in notes only, not in the bibliography.

What if the lecture is available online as a recording?

Include the URL at the end of the citation. If it is on a platform like YouTube, you may treat it as a video with the lecture details included.

Is there a difference between citing a lecture and a keynote address?

The format is the same. Replace "lecture" with "keynote address" or "paper presented at" as appropriate to describe the event type.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your lecture or presentation:

Speaker
Title
Event/Course
Institution
Date
Location

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Step-by-Step Guide

Name the speaker

In notes, use First Name Last Name. In the bibliography, invert the first speaker's name.

Write the lecture title

Place the title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization.

Indicate the format

In notes, place the format description in parentheses beginning with "lecture," followed by the institution and location. In the bibliography, write "Lecture," after the title.

Add the institution and location

Include the name of the university, organization, or event, followed by the city and state/country.

Include the date

Provide the full date in Month Day, Year format.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the word 'lecture' (or 'paper presented at') to indicate the format.

Forgetting to include the institution or event where the lecture was delivered.

Not placing the lecture title in quotation marks.

Leaving out the city or location of the institution.

Confusing a lecture with a conference paper — lectures are standalone talks, not peer-reviewed submissions.