 You may be familiar with the classic Johnny Cash song, Folsom Prison Blues, but did you know the song borrows heavily from an older song called Crescent City Blues by Gordon Jenkins and Beverly Marr? The man in black didn't credit Jenkins on Folsom City Blues though, and the songs were so similar that Jenkins sued Cash for royalties. In the end, the issue was settled out of court for approximately $75,000. You may not be too worried about plagiarism in your next hit song, but it should be on your mind as you prepare for your next speech. Giving credit where credit is due through oral citations is critical for speakers. In this video, we'll discuss why oral citations are important, where speakers should use oral citations, and how to orally cite sources within a speech. Let's get started. You may be asking yourself, what's the big deal? Why are oral citations so important in a speech? At the most basic level, oral citations allow a speaker to avoid plagiarism by crediting the source of the information used. If it didn't come from your own mind, then you need to tell us where you got it. Oral citations can also help a speaker increase their credibility, as the audience will see that you've taken your preparation seriously. Finally, remember that the audience doesn't have your outline in front of them to use as a reference. If you don't name the references in your speech, then the audience won't know that it came from another source, let alone where you got the information. Okay, so, citing sources is important. Where should a speaker include citations? It's a good idea to cite your sources in three different places. First, include a source citation immediately following that piece of information in the preparation outline of your speech. It will serve as a reminder that you need an oral citation, and also help you quickly identify the source of that information. Second, it's a good idea to include a bibliography or reference list at the end of your preparation outline. An even better idea is to keep a running list of source references in case you lose track of one. Finally, it is critically important that you include an oral citation of each of these references in your speech. This means saying the source information out loud at the time you present the information from that source. So now we know the why and when of source citation, but how does the speaker actually cite a source during a speech? It's simple, let me show you. First, be sure that you have the appropriate information for the citation. This may include the author or origin of the source, the type of source, in other words, is this information from a book, a website, a personal interview, et cetera, the title or description of the source, the date of publication, and the source qualifiers, such as their qualifications, credentials, and experience. It's possible that you might not have all this information for every source, that's okay. Just share what's available. Be mindful, however, that missing information in the oral citation could impact the audience's feelings on the credibility of the information. The info in the oral citation doesn't have to come in that particular order. In fact, it's a good idea to change up the order or the wording of these citations in order to avoid sounding robotic. For example, you could give a citation saying, according to the article, Sultan of Slide by Lucas Davidson, published in the June 5th, 2015 issue of Rolling Stone, guitar phenom, Warren Haynes, traces his musical roots to Jimi Hendrix, early Eric Clapton, and Johnny Winter. This same information and citation could also be given as, Warren Haynes traces his musical roots to Jimi Hendrix, early Eric Clapton, and Johnny Winter, according to the Rolling Stone article, Sultan of Slide by Lucas Davidson, published on June 5th, 2015. Whether the citation comes immediately before or directly after the information isn't terribly important. It is important, however, that the citation be included with the information. Don't give a whole list of sources at the beginning or the end of the speech. While there's no mistaking Folsom Prison Blues as a uniquely Johnny Cash song, the lyrics and tune were adapted from an older song, and the creator of that song deserved credit for his work. The same is true for information that you use in your speeches. Be sure to give credit where credit is due.