Zitiertet

Zitiertet is a term encountered in discussions of scholarly citation practices, used to describe a nested citation pattern in which a source is cited within a cited source rather than the original work. The term is not part of formal bibliographic standards and appears mainly in theoretical discourse on provenance and credibility in academic writing.

Etymology and scope: The word combines the stem zitier- from German zitieren “to quote” with the suffix -et, used here to denote a concept. In use, zitiertet can occur in two forms: a direct zitiertet, where an author quotes the source that is quoting another source, and an indirect zitiertet, where an author cites a secondary source that quotes primary material. The central concern is traceability: readers may not have access to the original source, complicating verification and attribution.

Examples: A paper cites B, which quotes C. If A relies on B’s quotation of C without consulting C, this is a zitiertet scenario. Another common occurrence is when a review summarizes findings from a source that itself relies on an earlier study, creating a chain of quotations.

Implications and practice: Scholarly commentary often notes that zitiertet can reduce transparency and increase the risk of misquotation. Best practices in many style guides encourage locating and citing the original source whenever feasible, and, if necessary, clearly indicating when a secondary citation is being relied upon and detailing the citation path.

Status and see also: Zitiertet remains a debated and non-standardized concept mostly discussed in theoretical or pedagogical contexts. See also citations, quotation practices, and secondary sources.