Documenting sources orally during the speech

 

Copied from: Deanna Sellnow, “Oral Footnotes,” The Process of Public Speaking, pp. 144-146. (Harcourt Press, 1998)

 

To be an ethical public speaker, you must also cite references of external research orally throughout the presentation.  Doing so will enhance your ethos (perceived competence and credibility) and avoid plagiarism.  Beginning public speakers sometimes have difficulty understanding the reasons for citing references orally. Consider the fact that no one who hears your presentation actually sees your outline or your reference list except, perhaps, your instructor.  How will the other individuals in your audience know where your information comes from unless you tell them?  Because public speaking is an aural communication event (comprised primarily of speaking and listening), you must provide your internal references orally as well as within the text and at the end of the outline. Oral footnotes are internal references to the original source, cited at the point of presenting the information during the speech.

 

                To be ethical, oral footnotes should be provided whenever you include information drawn from another source.  Oral footnotes typically provide listeners with the name and credentials of the author and enough bibliographic information to allow the listeners to look up the source themselves.  This helps ensure that the speaker is not merely fabricating his or her unsubstantiated opinions.  It also lets listeners know that the speaker is not plagiarizing information. It is not necessary to include page numbers in an oral footnote. What follows is an abbreviated list of appropriate oral footnote citation format for the kinds of sources most often cited by public speaking fundamentals students.

 

Books

 

                Usually, you need only to identify the last name of the author and the title of the book. You might include the date of publication and credentials of the author if doing so will enhance your credibility.   Sometimes a date is offered when the book was published within the last two years. An oral footnote for a book might sound like this:

 

                “In her book, The Process of Public Speaking, Sellnow argues that oral footnotes are essential because they enhance speaker credibility.”

 

Or you might choose to include the credentials of the author of the book. Then your oral footnote might sound like this:

 

                In her book, The Process of Public Speaking, Sellnow, who currently serves as the Director of Public Speaking Fundamentals at North Dakota State University, argues that oral footnotes are essential because they enhance speaker credibility.”

 

Journal or Magazine Articles

               

When citing an oral footnote for a journal or magazine article, you should include the name and publication date of the publication.  You might also include the author of the article or title of the article, particularly if doing so might enhance your credibility. An oral footnote for a journal or magazine article might sound like this:

 

“Ayres wrote, in a 1991 article published in Communication Research Reports, that using visual aids during public speaking presentations may actually reduce speech anxiety.”

 

Or:

 

                “According to a May/June article in Health Magazine entitled ‘Germ Crazy,’ not all antibacterial products actually help prevent disease.  In fact some can even make the germs more resistant.”

 

Newspapers

 

                When citing an oral footnote for a newspaper article, include the name of the newspaper and date of the article.  The reputation of the newspaper is more likely to boost your credibility than is the name of the author.  You might include the author of the article if the author’s credentials may serve to enhance your credibility.  An oral footnote for a newspaper article might sound like this:

 

                “A May 1998 article published in The Forum said that religious addiction can be as damaging to relationships as drug or alcohol addiction.”

 

Interviews

 

                When citing an oral footnote for an interview, include the name and credentials of the person interviewed and the date when the interview took place.  If you quote the interview more than once during the speech, it is only necessary to cite the name of the person interviewed in subsequent oral footnotes.  An oral footnote for an interview might sound like this:

 

                “In a television interview with Dr. Susan Nissen, Physician for Physical Medicine at Meritcare Hospital in Fargo, conducted on January 12, 1998, I learned that most Americans will break a toe or a finger at some point during their lives.”

 

Television Programs

 

                When citing an oral footnote for a television program, include the name of the program and the date of the original broadcast.  You may include the reporter if doing so may serve to enhance your credibility.  An oral footnote for a television program might sound like this:

 

                “As was reported on a May 1995 CNN special broadcast called ‘Cry Hatred,’ neo-Nazi Skinhead hatecrimes can be linked directly to the ‘Oi’ music they listen to.”

 

Internet Documents

 

                When citing an oral footnote for an internet document, you should include the author and her or his credentials along with the date of the most recent revision.  If there is not author, include the credentials of the sponsoring organization along with the date of the most recent revision. Do NOT include the path as part of your oral footnote. An oral footnote for an internet document might sound like this:

 

                North Dakota State University, a leading agricultural research institution, published a document on internet on December 21, 1997.   According to that document, some organic fertilizers can do more to harm potato crops than their chemical counterparts.”

 

                The key to remember when citing oral footnotes is to include enough information to allow listeners to access that information themselves and to offer enough credentials to enhance your credibility as a speaker on the topic. Ethical oral footnotes enhance ethos and avoid plagiarism.