Proper Citation Practices Citation is an academic method used when integrating information from someone else’s work into your own. The purpose of citation is to ensure the accuracy of the source and to respect copyright. Citations can be either direct or indirect.
Direct Citation Direct citation means using the exact content from the original text. Citations are primarily used for regulations, formulas, important sentences, or when specific information needs to be emphasized. When citing directly, the following should be adhered to: If citing an entire sentence, use quotation marks (” “) around the whole sentence and add a footnote at the end indicating the source. If only part of a sentence is cited, use quotation marks (” “) around the cited part and indicate the source. When selectively citing only necessary parts from the original text, use quotation marks (” “) around each part and specify the source. If part of the sentence is omitted, be careful not to distort the original meaning, and use ellipsis (…) for the omitted parts. If additional explanation is needed within a citation, place the added content inside brackets ([ ]). If a citation includes another citation, change the inner quotation marks to single quotes (‘ ’). Indirect Citation Indirect citation is the method of rephrasing the content of the original text in the author’s own words. This approach does not directly transfer the text, but rather communicates the content in the author’s language. Indirect citations do not use quotation marks, and the meaning of the original text must be accurately conveyed, with the source similarly indicated. Adhering to these standards maintains academic transparency and allows readers to verify the sources.
