How to Cite a TED Talk in MLA? | An Easy Guide With Examples

When writing your assignment, essay, research paper, or report, you must find relevant data and information. When you stumble upon a related TED talk that you think can be a reliable source of information for your paper, you must also incorporate it. As you know, writing the required details is not enough, as you have to acknowledge the source as well by citing it efficiently. If you want to learn how to cite a TED talk in MLA, this blog is the best thing you require. 

So, what are you waiting for? Start reading this example-supported guide. 

What is a TED Talk?

Before understanding how to cite a TED talk in MLA, we must first be aware of what a TED talk and an MLA format are. 

According to TechTarget, a TED talk is defined as a live or recorded public speaking delivered by a particular speaker at an official satellite event of TED (technology, entertainment, and design). TED is a non-profit organisation that partners with individuals from different walks of life, such as actors, comedians, politicians, and scientists, to tell their impactful and thought-provoking stories. 

What is MLA Citation Style?

MLA, Modern Language Association, is referred to as a set of formatting and guidelines by which students must organise their academic papers. Like APA, Chicago, and Harvard, MLA has specific guidelines for headings, abbreviations, quotations, in-text citations, and works cited pages. It significantly helps students to meet their education obligations and authenticate their research. MLA is predominantly used in humanities, such as languages, arts, and philosophy. 

General Format of Citing a TED Talk in MLA

Want to cite a TED talk in MLA? You must follow the correct format. If not correctly followed, the citation is considered incorrect. The general format of citing a TED talk in MLA is given below. 

• The basic format of citing a TED talk in MLA

Works Cited: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the TED Talk”. TED, Month Year, URL, Accessed Date

In-Text Citation: (Speaker’s Last Name)

Moreover, an example is given further to guide you in your smooth MLA citation process.

• Example of citing a TED talk in MLA

Works Cited: Sandberg, Sheryl. “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders?”. TED, Dec. 2010, https://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025. 

In-Text Citation: (Sandberg)

Five Benefits of Citing a TED Talk in MLA

TED talks significantly help people widen their knowledge, improve listening skills, encourage critical thinking, expose them to new ideas, give access to popular personalities, encourage questions and discussion, develop respective public speaking skills, and teach about different cultures. When a TED talk is cited in an academic paper, it is considered an endorsement of all these benefits. Furthermore, it is also beneficial to cite a TED talk in MLA. Explore and know why: 

It helps to uphold academic integrity by avoiding plagiarism

Academic integrity is crucial for a legal and trustworthy educational journey. When a TED talk is cited in MLA, it is attributed to experts rather than the writer’s own opinion. So, due to this, the written information is not considered copied and avoids plagiarism. Moreover, it helps to build trust with readers 

It facilitates access to various sources and avoids ambiguity

MLA citations do not just symbolise the authentication of a paper, but they are also a road map of how you have conducted research in order to write the whole paper. It helps students to use your written document for their own research, as the links lead them to original data and information sources. 

It encourages to engage with different multimedia sources

Academic writing is not limited to just using documented data sources but to use anything, such as videos, podcasts, and infographics, to help write the paper. When TED talk is cited in MLA, it significantly allows students to check out diverse digital sources and explore modern research. 

It enhances the credibility of your work due to expert validation

As you know, TED talks are usually delivered by professionals, experts, leaders, and innovators in their field. So, when they are cited in assignments or essays, all the presented arguments are associated with expert voices. Moreover, readers’ engagement increases when experts are cited. 

It helps to meet academic standards by adhering to guidelines

When coursework is assigned, it is required to write by following specific academic standards, such as zero-plagiarism and referencing. When TED talks are cited by following all the guidelines, it demonstrates attention to detail and professional behaviour. It also helps to avoid legal or credibility penalties. 

Common Elements Involved While Citing a TED Talk in MLA

Citing a TED talk in MLA is not just following the general citation format, but you must be familiar with all its key elements. Not all elements stay the same in all citation scenarios. Some might vary according to the available information. Here are the common elements involved while citing a TED talk in MLA: 

Above, we have discussed the general format, benefits, and general elements of citing a TED talk in MLA. Now, it’s time to discuss all the methods of citing TED talks in MLA. These methods are related to the TED website, YouTube, transcript, and streaming platforms. Review and understand these thoroughly to MLA reference a TED talk in your assignments, essays, papers, and reports. 

Method 1: How to cite a TED talk from the TED website in MLA? 

When a TED talk is cited from the TED website, it starts with the speaker’s last name, first name, title of the talk, publisher, and publication date and ends with the URL. This is how you can cite a TED talk from the TED website in MLA: 

 Works Cited: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the TED Talk”. TED, Month Year,   URL. 

 Robinson, Ken. “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”, Feb. 2006,  https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity. 

 In-Text Citation: (Speaker’s Last Name)

(Robinson)

Method 2: How to cite a TED talk from YouTube in MLA?

TED also publishes its talks on YouTube and other prominent streaming platforms so users can find and listen to them effortlessly. Sometimes, a TED talk on YouTube is used when writing an academic paper. This is how it is cited in MLA: 

 Works Cited: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the TED Talk”. YouTube, uploaded   by TED, Day Month Year, URL. 

 Cuddy, Amy. “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are”. YouTube, uploaded by TED, 1   Oct. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc. 

 In-Text Citation: (Speaker’s Last Name)

(Cuddy)

Method 3: How to cite a TED talk transcript in MLA?

Some instructors require students only to add a transcript of the TED talk. Its MLA citation starts with the speaker’s last name, first name, title of the talk, publisher, publication year, [transcript], and ends with URL. Review this format and example for further guidance: 

 Works Cited: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the TED Talk”. TED, Month Year,   [Transcript], URL. 

 Gates, Bill. “The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready”. TED, Apr. 2015, [Transcript],  https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_the_next_outbreak_we_re_not_ready/transcript. 

 In-Text Citation: (Speaker’s Last Name)

 (Gates)

Method 4: How to cite a TED talk from streaming platforms in MLA?

Apart from TED and YouTube, other streaming platforms also have TEDx talks, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. When academic writers use these, they are cited in MLA slightly differently. Here is how a TED talk from Netflix is cited in MLA: 

 Works Cited: Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the TED Talk”. Streaming Platform   Name, Month Year, URL. 
 Sinek, Simon. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”. Netflix, Mar. 2020,  https://www.netflix.com/title/123456789. 

 In-Text Citation: (Speaker’s Last Name)

 (Sinek)

Special Cases of Citing a TED Talk in MLA

Above, we have discussed the general methods of citing a TED talk in MLA. However, students might sometimes face specific scenarios due to the availability or unavailability of some particular elements. In this particular case, the structure of the citation changes. Here are the special cases of citing a TED talk in MLA: 

• Citing a TED talk with two speakers in MLA

• Citing a translated TED talk in MLA

• Citing a TED Talk without a publication date

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Citing a TED Talk in MLA

Citing a TED talk is not a piece of cake, as it requires extensive focus, concentration, and attention to detail. Sometimes, students tend to make mistakes when citing respective TED talks in MLA. However, they can avoid every mistake by being alert. Here are the common mistakes to avoid while citing TED talks in MLA: 

• Avoid adding incorrect links

Links are an integral part of citing TED talks in MLA. If they are not properly embedded, readers can’t go to the related data source. So, double-check the link after pasting it in the citation. Ensure that it is selectable and correct. 

• Don’t use incorrect dates

The date of the cited data source in MLA shows when that particular data was published. It helps readers understand the time frame of the topic being researched. So, ensure to add the correct dates. 

• Always add the publisher

Adding the publisher in the MLA citation is also crucial as it guides readers about the technical personnel involved in publishing papers from which data is taken. In the case of TED talks, it is “TED”. 

• Don’t forget to include timestamps

When a dialogue or phrase from a TED talk is cited, it is on a particular timeframe. So, it is mandatory to add the timestamp so readers don’t have to struggle much while searching the data source. 

Essential Guidelines to Format an MLA Paper

Adequately citing data and information sources in MLA is not enough; you must also structure your paper according to MLA guidelines. Here are the essential guidelines that you must follow to format an MLA paper: 

• Margins: The margins of an MLA paper should be 1 inch in all directions, including the top, bottom, left, and right. 

• Font: The font should be 12-point, including Arial or Times New Roman. 

• Line Spacing: You should double-space the entire document, including the works cited page. 

• Alignment: The alignment of the MLA paper should be left. 

• Indentation: Use the Tab key to indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches. 

Preparing the First Page of MLA Paper:

This is how you should prepare the first page of an MLA paper:

• Start from the top-left corner
• First, your name
• Instructor’s name
• Course name
• Date (Day, month, year)

Preparing the Works Cited of MLA Paper: 

This is how you should prepare the first page of an MLA paper:

• Title “Works Cited” on the top of the page.
• Arrange entries in alphabetical order.
• The hanging indent of all entries from the first line should be 0.5 inches. 
• Use fractionation marks like commas and periods to separate elements and end entries. 

Frequently Asked Questions