Using Citation Generators Responsibly
The citation generator is a relatively recent addition to the writer's toolbox, but one that has already altered the practice of writing immensely. Gone are the days of painstakingly documenting every individual source by hand. Citation generators allow writers to generate citations in a fraction of the time this work once took. Some even allow writers to construct entire bibliographies on the fly that can be imported into projects with a few clicks.
Citation generators are, clearly, powerful tools. However, because citation generators have the potential to change the writing task so drastically, it's important for writers to educate themselves about them. Used wisely, citation generators remove much of the tedium from the writing task so that writers can focus on the things that matter most—their ideas. Used unwisely, however, they can introduce systematic errors that the writer isn't even aware of.
How Do Citation Generators Work?
Citation generators are programs that turn information about a source into a citation that the writer can use in a project. Though many different citation generators exist, most follow this general process:
- The generator receives information about a source. Usually, this comes from the user: he or she types the source's author, title, publication date, and so on.
- The generator processes this information according to settings the user has specified (e.g., the citation style and the medium). This usually means putting the pieces of information received in Step 1 into the correct order and applying the correct formatting.
- The generator produces a citation (or set of citations) that the user can use. This usually takes the form of text that a user can copy and paste into a project.
What's important to realize, however, is that citation generators rely on the user's input and follow set patterns. Citation generators cannot exercise any judgment of their own. They do not "understand" the task of citation in the way that humans do. They can only follow instructions given to them by their users and their programmers.
How Can I Use Citation Generators Wisely?
Make Sure the Information You Input is Correct
No citation generator is perfectly insulated against user error. If you give a citation generator incorrect information, it will probably give you an inaccurate citation. Check your input information carefully as you enter it to ensure the accuracy of the final product.
Work from the Copy of the Source You Have Available
It's easy to miss minor details like edition number and editors' names when relying on secondary information about the source. Make sure you are working from a copy of the source itself, rather than from a web page or another secondary source.
Designate the Correct Medium, Version, and/or Edition for Each Source
Citation generators cannot judge whether the information they receive about a source "makes sense." They cannot tell if you're accidentally citing an academic journal article as a magazine article (and thus likely leaving out important information like volume number). Make sure you are designating the correct medium, version, and/or edition for each source.
Using citation generators responsibly requires an understanding of how they work and a willingness to double-check the information they produce. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your citations are accurate and properly formatted, and that you are giving proper credit to the sources you are using.
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