Citing Sources: Best Practices

Note: Always check with your instructor about their expectations around citation for projects with audio components. Most podcasts and audio projects will rely on a detailed written list of sources used, and will keep verbal or voiced in-text citations minimal. However, some academic assignments may ask you to treat your verbal in-text citations the same way you would in-text citations for a written assignment, with full citation elements included (e.g., author, page number). Ask your instructor if you’re not sure!  

See the MRU Library Citation page for detailed information on how to format your in-text citations and list of sources in each style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). 

Referencing sources as you speak

• Include any context that might be useful to your listener (think about your audience!). This could mean:

  • The title or location of the source; e.g., a book or podcast title, the title of a newspaper or news website, or the title of a prestigious journal in which a study was published.

  • The credentials of the author(s) you’re citing; e.g., an author’s professional role or scholarly expertise. This can help build your own credibility as it supports your reasoning for using this particular source. 

• If your instructor has requested full in-text verbal citations, mention the same details you would include for a written in-text citation, according to your particular referencing style. 

Using quotations 

• Avoid verbalizing “quote” and “end quote” to mark when a quotation begins and ends. Instead, use clear phrasing to introduce quotes (e.g., reporting verbs) and to transition to your own wording/discussion of the quotes.

• Note: APA Style typically uses reporting verbs in past tense, while MLA Style uses present tense. 

• As you read, it might help to pause briefly at the start and end of each quote.

Examples of verbally-integrated quotations (using a specific referencing style*)

Note: The examples below include full citation information, but this may not be required by your instructor. 

A 2021 report by financial advising company Alberta Stats stated, on page 1, that online shopping is at what they call “an all-time high.” This shift in consumer behaviour can be attributed to the rise in demand for socially-distanced or contact-free options during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

• Listen to the recording

(*APA Style)

On page 21, DeLearey calls life after marriage “an exercise in reimagining one’s identity.” DeLearey clearly identifies a certain freedom that comes with divorce, despite its potential for financial and emotional trauma.

• Listen to the recording

(*MLA or Chicago Style)

Don’t forget your list of sources 

Unless your instructor says otherwise, always include a standard list of all the sources you used for the podcast assignment. The list should be formatted according to the specific referencing style that your instructor has asked you to use (APA: Reference List; MLA: Works Cited; Chicago: Bibliography; etc.).

These guides will answer most of your questions about APA and provide you with many examples. Additional resources are also available.