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citation

sy-TAY-shuhn /saɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

nounB2GRESATTOEFLIELTS

academicformal

A quotation from or reference to an academic book, paper, or author in a scholarly work.

Emphasizes formal attribution and intellectual integrity against plagiarism.

The story behind the word. From Latin citationem, from citare meaning 'to summon' or 'call forth'. In legal antiquity, a citation was a court summons; in scholarship, it evolved into 'summoning' an author as an authority.

Word relationships

attribution: Attribution is the general act of giving credit, while citation is a specific formatted reference entry.
reference: Reference can mean any mention, whereas citation usually refers to a precise entry following a style guide.

plagiarism: Plagiarism is taking credit for another's work without giving citation.

Commonly confused with

site: Site refers to a physical location or website, while citation refers to an academic reference.

Word family

cite (verb): To quote or refer to as evidence or authority.
citing (verb): The act of referencing a source.

Collocations

citation style
proper citation
citation index
direct citation

Example sentences

"Every direct quotation and borrowed concept in your paper must be accompanied by a proper bibliographic citation." Academic Integrity
"The professor's groundbreaking article received over five thousand citations in top international journals." Citation Metrics

Memory hook

CITE your source so you aren't SIGHTED for plagiarism. Summoning an authority to back your point.

When not to use

Do not use for casual informal recommendations or offhand mentions.

Fun facts

The h-index, created by Jorge Hirsch in 2005, measures a scholar's scientific output and citation impact in a single number.