How to Cite a TED Talk 

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How to Cite a TED Talk

TED Talks are often viewed as more “fun” than “serious” when it comes to academic activities, but there is still a need for accurate and correct citations. To do this, you must know how to cite your information correctly and where it came from. This post will outline the correct citation format for a TED talk and provide some examples.

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How to Cite a TED Talk in APA

Citing a TED talk in APA is simple, however, it depends on whether you are using the TED website as the source or using a video platform like YouTube or Vimeo. If you are citing from a website, you will need:

  • The speaker’s name
  • The year and date of publication
  • Title of the TED talk
  • Name of the website
  • Include an URL

Example of Reference Page Entry

Levitin, D. ( 2015, November). How to stay calm when you know you will be stressed. [Video]. TED Conferences. https://freeenglishlessonplans.com/2016/04/22/ted-daniel-levitin-how-to-stay-calm-when-you-know-you’ll-be-stressed/

Example of an in-text citation

(Levitin, 2015)

(Levitin, 2015, 23:12)

Below is a template that will make your citation work even easier:

Reference Page Entry Template

If you are citing from YouTube, here is how you should go about it:

  • Uploaders screen name
  • Full name of the speaker
  • The year and date of the TED talk
  • Title of the TED talk
  • URL

Example of a YouTube Citation

TEDxUniversityofNevada. (2017, February). What makes you special| Mariana Atencio|    [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5SatbZMAo

Example of an In-text Citation From YouTube

(TEDxUniversityofNevada, 2017)

Below is a template that will make your citation work even easier:

YouTube Citation Template

Another tip that will help you get rid of plagiarism when writing your academic paper is to include the name of the author of the TED talk and an in-text citation when quoting any of their work. For example

Daniel Levitin says that the sure way to stay calm when you know you are stressed is to think ahead of what those failures may be. (Levitin, 2015)

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How to Cite a TED Talk MLA

The MLA format is a bit different from the APA format, but this should not make you sweat because we have simplified things for you. Just like in the APA format, citing a TED talk from a website differs from citing the talk from YouTube. Here is how to cite a TED talk from a website using the MLA format, you will need:

  • Name of the speaker
  • Title of the TED talk
  • Month and year of the TED talk
  • Name of the Website
  • URL

Here is a template that will guide you while making the citation:

MLA Citation Template

Example of an MLA TED talk citation           

Levitin, D. J. “ How to Stay Calm When You Know You Will Be Stressed. “ TED, Nov. 

2015, https://freeenglishlessonplans.com/ted-daniel-levitin-how-to-stay-calm-when-you-know-you’ll-be-stressed/

Example of an In-text citation using MLA format

(Levitin 23:12)

The approach varies a little bit depending on whether you’re mentioning a TED Talk that you found on YouTube rather than their website. The speaker should still be listed in the author’s position. Still, you should additionally list the uploader (often “TED” or “TEDx Talks”) and provide the complete upload date since the talk is accessible on YouTube. If you plan to get your citation from YouTube, you can use the template below to guide you:

MLA Format Template

Example of a TED talk Citation From YouTube

Mariana, Atencio. “What Makes You Special|  Atencio Mariana | TEDxUniversityofNevada,” 

YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks,  5 Feb. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5SatbZMAo

Example of an In-text Citation From YouTube

(TEDxUniversityofNevada, 2017)

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I capitalize titles in APA

Yes. Since it employs a title case, all principal words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions) are capitalized in MLA style.

This rule applies to the titles of sources and the paper’s title and subheadings. Even if the title of the original source employs different capitalization, adopt MLA style.

How do I credit a source in MLA style without an author or page numbers?

Start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title if the source has no authors. Your MLA in-text citation should contain a condensed form of the title.

You can use an alternate locator (such as a chapter number or timestamp for a video or audio source) to locate the pertinent portion in your in-text reference if a source doesn’t include page numbers. Cite the author’s name if there are no numbered divisions in the source (or the title).

Conclusion

TED talks are an amazing way to present information in an easily digestible format. We have simplified the process of getting your citations right while citing a TED talk. It is crucial that you follow these guidelines, if you fail to do so, your paper will be difficult to comprehend and may even be rejected.

Useful articles to explore;

  1. How to pass a case study with flying colors.
  2. How to conclude your college essay.
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