1.1.

Meaning and Importance of Citations

Why are citations necessary?
The importance of citing a document to credit its original author cannot be overstated.
Providing a citation for a source will accomplish the following purposes :

 A citation identifies the source which is being referred to by the author;

 It provides the readers with references in addition to their sources that are available;
 It provides additional information about the author’s argument or the references, which would
otherwise not be ideal to add in the main body of content;
 It shows the reader that the author has researched about the topic in great detail;
 It makes the work more legitimate, authoritative and reliable, because the author has cited
verified sources of information; and
 Last but not the least, citations help in avoiding plagiarism.

Nobody researches in a vacuum. We all get inspiration from different sources, and it is our
responsibility to give credit where it is due. As a law student, it is mandatory that you learn
about citing your sources as soon as possible.

In a particular work all of the citations should follow a standardised format. There are many
such formats, and they are referred to as citation styles.

In this course, you will learn about four most commonly used citation styles – Bluebook,
OSCOLA, Standard Indian Legal Citation (SILC), and finally, a uniform method for
citations. Before delving deeper into specific citation methods, let us understand the types of
citations available.
1.2. Types of Citations
Any given citation contains various details for identifying the source depending on the type
of the citation. Moreover, the way you cite would also change with the type of citation format
you use. Broadly, citations can be classified into the following categories:
1. In-text citations
An in-text citation is a reference that is made within the main body of the work. These are
written in brackets immediately after the text you have incorporated from that source.
Generally, an in-text citation is shortened for ease of reading, and the full list of references is
mentioned at the end of the work.

Let us take an example. The statement that we are citing is:

'One of the first cases of online dispute resolution involved a procedure started in the United
States of America in which the opposing sides decided to seek a new method to settle their
dispute (Wahab, 2008).'
In this given text ‘Wahab, 2008’ is the in-text citation. At the end of this work, a list of
references is provided, where all the shortened citations are expanded. They look like this:

The list of all the references used is usually arranged in alphabetical order and sorted as per
categories like case laws, statutes, articles, etc. Concerning the in-text citation itself, some of
the details mentioned are –

 For articles – the author’s last name and the date of publication. It also mentions the particular
page of the source sometimes.
 For statutes – the full name or a shortened form
 For cases – usually, one party’s name and the year of judgment; sometimes, both the parties
may be mentioned if it is confusing otherwise.
Please note that merely placing an in-text citation is not enough to avoid plagiarism. It is also
mandatory to mention the in-text citation properly in the references section. Further,
sometimes it is relevant to quote and paraphrase statements that are copied from other
sources. We have explained this part in greater detail during the later part of this Course.

2. Footnotes
Did You Know?

‘Speaking Footnotes’ are the footnotes where you add explanations to the actual
source/reference, apart from merely adding the details which could help the reader to locate
the source. However, not all organisers/publishers allow you to add “speaking” footnotes.
Always make sure to check the guidelines prescribed before submitting.

Please have a look at the following image to have more clarity on use of footnotes:

3. Endnotes
An endnote is a citation that is located at the end of the work and is usually for academic
papers like articles, research papers, etc. The numbers within the main body can be either
expressed in superscript or square brackets. These can also include explanatory details in
addition to the reference, which is known as ‘speaking endnotes’.

The major difference between endnotes and footnotes is the placement of the citations. The
endnotes would be at the end of the entire work and not at the end of every page. For
example, footnote number 1 would be mentioned at the end of that page itself, but an endnote
for a sentence even in the introductory part of the work would be mentioned only at the end
of that work.
Endnotes are mentioned immediately after the conclusion of the main text of any given work.
For instance, let us take an excerpt from Debora Schweikart’s Article “The Gender-Neutral
Pronoun Redefined”:

Here’s an infographic to summarise the difference between footnotes and endnotes:

4. Bibliography
A bibliography is essentially a comprehensive list of all the materials from which you have
included details in your work. Bibliographies are considered less specific as compared to
footnotes and endnotes because unlike footnotes and endnotes, bibliographies generally do
not provide specific details like the particular page of the source referred to.
Let’s have a look at a sample bibliography:
Please note that footnotes and endnotes provide a citation number that is mentioned with the
exact text which is borrowed from the cited source. However, bibliographies do not provide
us with specific citation numbers that pin-point the exact part borrowed from the cited source.

Bibliographies are merely a compilation of all the authorities used for reference for creating
any particular work.

Unlike endnotes, the references mentioned in a bibliography can be grouped into different
categories of materials like case laws, books, articles, statutes, etc. However, this also
depends on the citation style that you have chosen.

1.3. Different Citation Styles

There are numerous styles or methods of citing a reference or source followed around the
globe. For the purpose of this course, our focus will be concentrated on the 3 most widely
followed citation styles: Bluebook, OSCOLA and Standard Indian Legal Citation
(SILC). Thereafter, we will also provide a uniform citation guide which you can use if there
is no citation style prescribed for your submission.
1. Bluebook
However, Bluebook is not always easy to access legally. This is because the newer editions
take time to get stocked in colleges and universities, and the official website requires you to
have a paid subscription for accessing it. Online versions are available, but they have not
been authorised by the authority in charge of managing the Bluebook.

2. OSCOLA
OSCOLA stands for Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities. This is the
style guide that United Kingdom’s law schools and legal publishers use the most. It was first
developed by a faculty of the Oxford University, Peter Birks. Now, it is in its 4th edition that
was published in 2012 and is freely available. However, it is not as regularly updated as the
Bluebook.

3. SILC
The Standard Indian Legal Citation (SILC) style guide is specific to the Indian legal settings.
A freely accessible guide, it covers most of the common categories of materials – cases,
statutes, articles etc. – and a few international sources as well. Please note that there haven’t
been any confirmed revisions of the guide.

4. Uniform Style of Citations

At various instances, guidelines mention a ‘uniform’ citation system instead of a specific
guide like OSCOLA or Bluebook. This means that you can choose any system of citation that
you want, but it should remain the same throughout your work.

For example, if you cited Case 1 in a certain format, then throughout your work, all cases
have to be cited in the same format. Even full stops used at the end of your citations should
be consistent throughout.

Choosing a citation system on your own can seem daunting. You can use any of the
established guides like the Bluebook or make one for yourself. In this course, we would be
providing you with a basic style guide which you can use in situations where a uniform style
of citation is required.
1.4. The Golden Rules for Citations
We have now understood that our citations should be correct, complete, and consistent.
However, it can sometimes be a tough task to abide by these rules of citation. There can be
three main reasons:

A. Not keeping a track of your citations beforehand:

In the process of compiling your research work into a final draft, there may be other
demanding obligations than keeping an accurate record of the citations for your sources or
references. However, if you do not keep a proper record of your citations during your
research and leave it for the end, it becomes a daunting task that ends up consuming your
precious time at the eleventh hour.

Therefore, no matter what you take up, the safest and best bet is to start early and stay steady.
Hence it becomes very important to maintain a proper record of your sources along with their
citations from the very beginning. By doing this you will have ample time to proofread your
citations thoroughly just before the submission to minimise the errors.

B. Multiple citation styles:

Another complication could be working on different documents that need different citation
styles. If you are working on a research paper that needs OSCOLA and a moot memorial that
requires the Bluebook citation style, you may find yourself getting confused and end up
mixing the two methods.

Therefore, it is better to focus on one instead of multitasking. Even if you can manage the
simultaneous research, it is better to focus on one citation style for that period of your study
session.

C. Understanding the source:

The third problem that arises is citing correctly when you don’t understand the material you
are citing. In case you have not researched enough, you may not understand whether what
you are citing is a printed journal article or an article from an online forum. This way even if
you do not intend to commit plagiarism, you end up plagiarising due to the inaccurate
citation.

In the next Module, we will learn about the classification of research sources based on their
origin and value. We will then proceed to tackle the three preliminary questions: What to cite;
How to cite; and When to cite.