What is the citation and reference?

A citation is a brief notation within the text of a document that refers to a source listed in the reference list at the end of the document. The reference is the full bibliographic information for the source, including the author, title, publication date, and other relevant details.

For example, a citation might look like this: (Smith, 2019), while the corresponding reference in the reference list would provide more detailed information about the source, such as:

Smith, J. (2019). The Art of Writing: A Guide for Authors. Publisher.

Citations and references are important for giving credit to the original sources of information used in a document and for allowing readers to locate and verify those sources.

Citation:

- In-text citation: (Author's Last Name, Year)
- Reference list entry:
- Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of publication. Publisher.

Example:

- In-text citation: (Brown, 2023)
- Reference list entry:
- Brown, J. (2023). The history of the internet. Oxford University Press.