Citations:Whatcha Gonna Do?

The Guidelines

• According to the Writing Guidelines, “Citations are required for any numbers, stats, or hard-to-find information.”

• A citation should directly support the number, stat, or information it is attached to.

• Here are some examples.

Numbers• Reports show that 2 gazillion traffic

citations were issued last year alone.

• Beginning May 32, 2015, all citation paper used by law enforcement officers will be pink.

• After 3.6 citations, you and your favorite pet will be thrown in jail.

Stats

• 9 out of 7 cops recommend that you drive no faster than they do.

• It is estimated that 14% of citations are given.

Hard-to-find information

• Cops who eat at least one donut a day are less likely to give undeserved citations to drivers, reputable reports say.

• Sprinkled donuts are directly related to elevated friendliness levels in police officers.

• According to experts, watching “Cops” may or may not make you a better criminal.

Direct quotes• Citations are also required for

direct quotes. Include the author of the quote and a link to the quote. • “Good afternoon, sir.”

-Cop• “Have a nice day.”

-Police people• “Hide your kids, hide your wife”

-Antoine Dodson

• Quotes that are so well known that they are often quoted in speech (Example: “To be or not to be.”) are exceptions.

A citation is not needed in the following…

• “The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.”• This is common knowledge and is easy to find.

• “Add 1/3 Tbsp. of flour.”• Though this includes a number, the instruction is subjective.

Every recipe is different.

• “The average cost of replacing your shingle roof is $12,000."• This is easy to find in a quick search and is not an exact

number.

• “A gallon of milk costs around $3.” • Again, this is common knowledge and is easy to find.

Ask yourself:• Is it easily verifiable?

• If not, it needs a citation.

• Is it believable?• If it would make readers question,

it’s best to include a citation.

• Does it need a citation to protect the client’s interests and reputation?• Again, anything questionable needs

a citation.

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Remember…

• You can link to sources just to provide the reader with extra information. • Example: “Never give a cop a donut in an attempt to get out

of a citation.”

• But! Do not require the reader to click on a link in order to understand the rest of the article. • Example: “It’s important to understand what a doughnut is.

Now that you know, reward yourself with a donut hole and keep reading.”

(real link!)

(Another real link!)

We don’t accept links to…

• Product pages

• Pictures/Images• UNLESS they are purely

supplementary. In other words, the article does a great job of explaining X concept, and Y picture is just included as a bonus.

• Example: “Donuts are small fried cakes of sweetened dough, typically shaped into a ring.”

• Searches

(Warning: These links are all legit. Almost too legit.)

And then there were some jokes.

‘Cause jokes are funny.

And a link to Jeremy’s post about sources…• Because it gives great tips on how to cite sources

and talks about some of the best sources to cite. The examples in the slideshow were fun and all, but this article gives some great, real-life examples. Check it out here!

(I almost didn’t make this link real…but that would be mean. So this one’s real too!)