Why citations matter

On the other, they place so little information within the text that the interested reader may feel herself constantly interrupted, chasing one citation after another and leaving the thread of the argument behind.

In contrast to foot- or endnote based styles are those that employ abbreviated, parenthetical textual markers, providing just enough in-line information that a reader can recognize and perhaps contextualize the source in question. Both styles for in-text citations are designed to guide the reader who wants more information to the appropriate entry in a list of full bibliographic citations at the end of the text, while allowing other readers simply to acknowledge the source and continue the current line of thought.

But these bibliographic entries are of course the aspect of documentation style that produce the greatest level of writer irritation, as they require what often feels like a forbidding level of detail and a fussy mode of organization. And this, perhaps, is where citation practices could most benefit from a bit of intervention and rethinking in the digital age. Writers need to know how to cite an ebook, how to cite a tweet, how to cite an Instagram image, how to cite — no, seriously, my office actually received this inquiry — a book that a player reads within the action of a video game.

At some point, the process of developing and disseminating all of these citation formats runs the risk of creating a map that is larger and more complex than the terrain through which it attempts to guide writers and readers. And this is the point at which academic writers understandably begin to grumble about citations being outdated and unnecessary anyhow. I am convinced that it is possible to get rid of the murky bathwater without disposing of the baby.

The key is finding ways to turn our attention away from formats and toward frameworks — simple, repeatable frameworks that convey, at a glance, the information necessary to direct a reader seamlessly to any source, in any medium. The Handbook had grown dense and forbidding as formats accrued, but it was nonetheless the authoritative guide to MLA style, the arbiter of correctness in humanities-based citation practices.

Perhaps more importantly, though, it works to refocus attention on the reasons citation practices were invented in the first place: to enable disparate pieces of scholarly writing to be connected with one another, and to communicate those connections reliably, simply, and clearly.

Our hope is that ours might be the first manual that makes the academic style guide seem less like a misnomer, and more like a set of natural practices through which scholars can help organize the often unruly publications by which we are increasingly surrounded. Plagiarism is using another person's work without giving them credit. Search this Guide Search. Why Citations Matter. Introduction There are many reasons why it is important to cite the resources that you consult when researching a paper.

The most important of these are: Gives credit to authors whose works you have used whether you quote them or not. It allows those who are reading your work to locate your sources, in order to learn more about the ideas that you include in your paper. Citing your sources consistently and accurately helps you avoid committing plagiarism in your writing. But : What if the URL breaks?

What if your reader doesn't have access to Geisel Library's databases? Plagiarism and Authority They often say that students must learn about citing sources to avoid plagiarism. You become more credible by showing you've been responsible in arriving at your position that is, by doing research. You've done some work that might benefit your readers. The sources you cite demonstrate the work you did. By acknowledging the valuable work of other researchers, you establish a cooperative ethical framework that appeals to your readers.

You invite your reader to engage in a continuing conversation.