Your Citation Card

• At the beginning of class on the first day of the information speeches, you are required to turn in to me one 4" by 6" white index card with your name on one side and at least two formal MLA citations on the other side. This card may be typewritten, word-processed, or handwritten in ink. Pencil is not acceptable.

• As explained on the Citations handout found elsewhere on this website, all you need to do during your speech is give an indication of the source and an indication of the recency of the fact or quote or statistic you're citing (and possibly a qualifier, depending on the built-in credibility of the source). On your Citation Card, however, you should show the complete, formal, "term paper" version of each citation. (If you don't know how to do term-paper citations in MLA style, it's time for you to learn!) As I listen to your speech, I'll be checking to make sure that each citation indicated on your card does in fact appear in your speech, translated from proper term-paper format to proper speech format.

• If you don't get called on to deliver your speech on the first day of the round, it's possible that you may decide to make changes to your citations, either adding new ones, deleting original ones, or both. That's fine. Keep in mind that the speech you deliver is required to include two citations (or more) from two (or more) of the six basic types discussed in class. If you do decide to make any changes to the citations listed on your Citation Card, you should see me before class and turn in a replacement Citation Card showing the citations you've now decided to use.

• Remember, the Citation Card is not optional: it is a required element of the assignment. If you don't turn in a Citation Card at the beginning of the first day of the round of information speeches, you will not be permitted to deliver your speech!

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