A citation's a lot like a name: it refers to something beyond itself. Sometimes, though, it's not clear what a citation's really referring to. For example, how can you tell whether a citation designates a book rather than a journal article or a chapter in a book?  How do you know whether a citation is complete enough to try and track an item down?  What are the major differences between citation formatting styles, and do they really matter?  In this workshop, we'll address these questions and some others that often arise when you’re trying to make sense of citations. 

By the end of this session, you will: 

- Understand the basics of how citations are formatted across common citation styles and what that formatting means 

- Learn how to fill in the blanks of an incomplete or inaccurate citation 

- Explore strategies for identifying citations of nonexistent materials, including those created by generative AI 

This workshop is part of a series titled “Let's Get Critical: Core Research Skills in the Humanities” which focuses on relevant research skills and topics for humanities researchers. Other opportunities include Intro to Peer Review, Mapping the Field and Crash Course in Chicago Style, which you can also register for in LibCal.