cite

To cite is to acknowledge the source of information or ideas used in a text. In scholarly writing, citing serves to attribute credit, bolster assertions with evidence, and enable readers to verify claims. Citations appear in two broad forms: in-text references placed alongside the relevant material, and a bibliographic entry that provides full details of the source at the end of the document or in a footnote.

Citations may either quote a source verbatim or paraphrase its ideas. Direct quotes require precise wording and often a page or location reference. Paraphrases restate information in the author's own words but still require attribution to the original source. The exact formatting and punctuation of citations depend on the chosen style guide.

Common citation styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE, each with rules for author name order, date placement, title formatting, and the arrangement of the bibliography. The choice of style usually depends on the discipline or publication venue.

The purpose of citation extends beyond avoiding plagiarism: it supports the integrity of scholarship, lets readers assess source quality, and situates a work within a broader scholarly conversation. Digital sources may include identifiers such as DOIs or stable URLs, and style guides specify how to present them. In addition, many word processors and reference managers automate citation insertion and bibliography generation, aiding consistency across a document.