Manual Citation
Manual citation is the process of manually creating and formatting references or citations for sources in academic, research, or professional documents, such as papers, articles, or reports. It involves identifying source details like author, title, and publication date, and applying specific style guidelines (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) to ensure accuracy and consistency. This skill is essential for avoiding plagiarism and maintaining scholarly integrity in written work.
Developers should learn manual citation when working on technical documentation, research papers, or academic projects that require proper attribution of sources, such as in software documentation, whitepapers, or open-source contributions. It is particularly useful in contexts where automated citation tools are unavailable, unreliable, or need verification, ensuring compliance with publication standards and enhancing the credibility of their work.