Allikaviite

Allikaviite is the Estonian term for a source citation in academic writing. It denotes the practice of acknowledging the sources of ideas, data, or quotations used in a text, with the aim of guiding readers to the original material and helping to assess the reliability of the information.

In practice, allikaviide is realized in two main components: in-text citations and a reference list. In-text citations appear within the text and provide minimal information such as the author’s surname and the year of publication, and sometimes a page number. The full bibliographic entry, presented in a separate references or bibliography section, gives complete details: author(s), title, publication data, and identifiers like DOI or URL.

Several citation styles may be used in Estonian writing. Many institutions follow ISO 690 as a standard for bibliographic references, while specific disciplines or journals may require styles such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. The exact rules vary by source type (books, articles, websites) and by style, but all aim for clarity and consistency.

Good practice includes citing all ideas that are not your own, distinguishing between direct quotes and paraphrase, and ensuring consistency throughout a document. Accurate allikaviited enable verification and scholarly dialogue, and help prevent plagiarism.