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Citing for the first time, Subsequent Citing, List of Abbreviations used in Citation

 

Citing for the First Time, Subsequent Citing, and List of Abbreviations Used in Citation

1. Citing for the First Time

When citing a source for the first time in a research report or paper, it’s important to provide a full citation that includes all relevant details about the source. This allows readers to understand the complete reference to the work being cited.

Citation Methods for the First Time:

  • In-text citation (Author-Date system):
    • APA Style:
      • Format: (Author’s Last Name, Year of Publication)
      • Example: (Smith, 2020)
      • If quoting directly, include a page number: (Smith, 2020, p. 45)
    • MLA Style:
      • Format: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)
      • Example: (Smith 45)
  • Footnote or Endnote (Chicago/Turabian):
    • The first citation should provide complete details.
    • Example for a footnote:
      • ¹ John Smith, Research Methodology in Social Sciences (New York: Academic Press, 2020), 45.

In the footnote or endnote system, the first citation is always full and includes all the necessary details like the author's name, title, publication details, and page number.

Example (First-time citation in Chicago/Turabian style footnote):

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1. John Smith, *Research Methodology in Social Sciences* (New York: Academic Press, 2020), 45.

2. Subsequent Citing

For subsequent citations of the same source, there is no need to repeat the full details. Abbreviated forms or shortened references are used depending on the citation style.

APA/MLA Subsequent Citations:

  • APA: In APA style, the same format is used for first and subsequent in-text citations: (Author’s Last Name, Year).
  • MLA: In MLA, repeat the same in-text citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number).

Chicago/Turabian Subsequent Citations:

In the Footnote/Endnote system, once a source has been cited for the first time with full details, abbreviated or shortened references are used for subsequent citations.

  • Chicago Style (Shortened):
    • You can use the author's last name, the title (shortened if necessary), and the page number.
    • Example:
      • Subsequent Footnote:
        • ² Smith, Research Methodology, 78.

Use of "Ibid.":

  • In Chicago style, if the subsequent citation comes immediately after the previous reference, you can use the term "Ibid." (short for ibidem, meaning "in the same place").
    • Example:
      • Ibid. followed by the page number if necessary.
      • ³ Ibid., 78.
      • (If it refers to the same page as the previous citation, simply use “Ibid.” without the page number.)

3. List of Abbreviations Used in Citation

Different citation styles and systems often use abbreviations to simplify citation formats, especially in footnotes or reference lists. Here are some common abbreviations:

General Citation Abbreviations:

  1. Ibid. – (Latin ibidem meaning "in the same place"): Used when citing the same source consecutively.

    • Example: "Ibid." refers to the exact same source cited immediately before.

  2. et al. – (Latin et alii meaning "and others"): Used when citing a source with multiple authors (generally when there are more than three or four authors).

    • Example: Smith et al. (2020) found that...

  3. op. cit. – (Latin opus citatum meaning "the work cited"): Used in footnotes or endnotes to refer back to a previously cited work that is not the most recent citation. It is now less commonly used.

    • Example: Smith, op. cit., 45.

  4. loc. cit. – (Latin loco citato meaning "in the place cited"): Refers to the same place in the same source previously mentioned. It is also rarely used in modern citation styles.

    • Example: Smith, loc. cit., 78.

  5. n.d. – No Date: Used when the publication date of a source is unavailable.

    • Example: Smith, J. (n.d.). Research methods in education.

  6. ed. – Editor or Edition:

    • Example for editor: Smith, J., ed.
    • Example for edition: 3rd ed.

  7. trans. – Translator:

    • Example: Smith, J., trans.

  8. vol. – Volume: Used to refer to a specific volume of a multi-volume work.

    • Example: Smith, J. (2020). Research Methods, vol. 2.

  9. pp. – Pages: Used to indicate a range of pages.

    • Example: Smith, J. (2020), pp. 45–50.

  10. ch. – Chapter: Refers to a specific chapter in a book.

    • Example: Smith, J. (2020), ch. 4.

Conclusion

  • Citing for the First Time: Provide the full citation details in either the in-text citation or footnote.
  • Subsequent Citing: Use abbreviated forms such as "Ibid." or a shortened citation to refer back to previously cited works.
  • List of Abbreviations: Familiarize yourself with common abbreviations such as "Ibid.", "et al.", and "n.d." to efficiently reference sources in your research.

This helps maintain clarity and consistency in academic writing and ensures that readers can easily trace the origins of your sources.

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