Citations
For the thoroughbred, see Citation (horse). For the criminal justice document, see summons.
A citation is a credit or reference to another document or source which documents both influence and authority. There are many rules for the format and use of such citations in different fields:
Varying rules and practices for citations apply in a science, a law, a theological citing of authority (e.g. the isnah which "back" the hadith in Islam), the prior art that applies in patent law, or marks applied in copyright.
Definitions of plagiarism, uniqueness or innovation, trustworthiness or reliability vary so widely among these fields that the use of citations has no simple common practice. In any of these fields the concept of a citation index can apply, which summarizes published citations of a given publication.
When using citations, one generally uses both a works cited page or section--also called the bibliography, source list or list of references--in conjunction with parenthetical citations (citations which refer the reader to a particular cited work). Some styles use Modern Language Association's (MLA) style is most often used in English studies, comparative literature, foreign-language literary criticism, and some other fields in the humanities. MLA style uses a Works Cited Page to list works at the end of the paper. Brief parenthetical citations, which include an author and page (if applicable), are used within the text. These direct readers to work of the author on the list of works cited, and the page of the work where the information is located (e.g. (Smith 107) refers the reader to page 107 of the work made by someone named Smith). More information can be found in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
- The American Psychological Association's APA style is most often used in social sciences. APA style lists sources at the end of the paper, on a References Page. Listing electronic sources of information is more detailed in APA style than in MLA style. APA style uses parenthetical citation within the text, listing the author's name, the year the work was made, and the page that the information may be found on. These work much like the MLA style's parenthetical citations.
References
- American Psychological Association (2001) "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition". American Psychological Association. ISBN 1557987912
- Gibaldi, J. (2003) "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th Ed)". Modern Language Association. ISBN 0873529863
- Walker, J and Taylor, T. (1998) "The Columbia Guide to Online Style". Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231107897
