Q. Does CMOS have an opinion or suggestion on how citations should occur within PowerPoint slides and in similar presentation software? Many classes and research presentations now rely on these types of presentations, but it’s not clear what the expectations for citations are. Are references at the end sufficient, or should there be a version of footnotes throughout? Perhaps only for direct quotes and the like? Thanks!
A. In most cases, a slide or two of references at the end of the presentation would work well. These could be formatted like a bibliography or reference list at the end of a book or article. But if the slides won’t be made available to consult after the presentation (e.g., as a handout or as a downloadable file), consider using footnotes on individual slides instead.
In the case of a direct quotation or specific data points, it’s usually best to credit whoever is responsible for the words or data on the applicable slide—for example, in a brief attribution complemented by a fuller source citation at the end of the presentation.