Acknowledging sources need not interrupt the flow of your speech. On the contrary, audience members will welcome information that adds backing to your assertions. The key is to avoid a formulaic, or mechanical, delivery. These strategies can help:

VARY THE WORDING Avoid a rote delivery of sources by varying your wording. For example, if you introduce one source with the phrase, “According to . . . ,” switch to another construction, “As reported by . . . ,” for the next. Alternating introductory phrases, such as “In the words of . . .”; “ Baltimore Sun reporter Jonathan X writes that . . .”; and so forth contributes to a natural delivery and provides the necessary aural variety.

LEAD WITH THE CLAIM Another means of varying how you cite sources is to discuss a claim first—for example, “Caffeine can cause actual intoxication”—before elaborating on and acknowledging the source of it—for example, “A report in the July 5, 2013, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has found . . . .” Much as transitions help listeners follow along, summarizing and previewing evidence can help listeners process it better.