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Citation signals

Citation signals indicate how a writer views the relationship of an item cited to a proposal being discussed. If no signal is used, then the reader may assume that the citation supports the writer's position. Some examples of citation signals are:

• See:
• See, e.g.,

These signal that the cited authority directly supports a proposition. They further indicate that other authorities also could have been cited for the same proposition, but no purpose would be served by citing them all because their citations would be duplicative.

• See also:
• See generally:

This signal indicates that the cited authority provides useful background information about a given point.

Example: See generally: < http://www.stcl.edu/faculty-dir/mcgaugh/draftingsignals.htm >.

• Cf.:

This signals (for the Latin confer, meaning "compare") that the cited authority states a proposition different from that stated by the person citing to the authority, but that the cited authority's proposition is sufficiently analogous to lend support.

• Contra:

This signals that the cited authority contradicts a given point.