Q. How do I cite a speech whose text I've retrieved from a website? Do I cite the speech information or the website information or both?

We sometimes think of citing as a science as opposed to an art, but in this case it is much more of an art. Even MLA does not have examples for ever conceivable source of information a student or scholar might cite, so we are going to work some magic for this.

We have two items to combine – a speech, and the fact that you are reading it from a website. Let’s start with the speech.

Here is the example for a speech given from p. 203 of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7^thedition.

Alter, Robert, and Marilynne Robinson. “The Psalms: A Reading and Conversation.” 92^nd Street Y,  New York. 17 Dec. 2007. Reading.

So, the parts would be …

Author. Title of speech. Place of delivery. Date of delivery. What is was – Speech [as opposed to Reading].

Now, we have to tag it from a website, and this is little less obvious. I turned to p.189 of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7^thedition for adding the tag line of a web-retrieved item. It has three parts –

1.      Title of database or Web site (italicized).

2.      Medium of publication consulted (Web)

3.      Date of access (day, month and year).

An example they use for a web tag line – The Walt Whitman Archives. Web. 12 Mar. 2007.

The final citation would then be -

Author. Title of speech. Place of delivery. Date of delivery. What is was – Speech [as opposed to Reading]. Title of database or Web site. Medium of publication. Date of access.

Remember to follow all the minor rules of quotations & abbreviations.

Hope this helps out.