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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Citation and Reference?

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The main difference between a citation and a reference lies in their purpose, location, and amount of information provided. Here are the key differences:

  1. Purpose:
  • Citations: These short in-text citations help readers understand which sources you are quoting or referring to in your writing, pointing to additional information.
  • References: These provide the full details of the sources you have cited in your writing, giving readers the complete source information.
  1. Location:
  • Citations: These appear within the main text of your writing, placed at the appropriate points where you are referring to or quoting a source.
  • References: These are added towards the end of the main text, typically in a reference list or bibliography.
  1. Amount of information and length:
  • Citations: These give minimal information, such as the last names of authors and the year of publication, or appear as footnotes.
  • References: These provide all the details of the source, including the author's name, the title of the book or article, the date of publication, and page numbers. References are longer and often run to several lines.

In summary, citations are short, in-text references to sources, while references are the full details of the sources provided at the end of the main text. Both serve to give readers the necessary information to find and examine the sources used in your writing.

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  • What is the Difference Between Citation and Reference?
  • Comparative Table: Citation vs Reference

    • Comparative Table: Citation vs Reference

    The difference between citation and reference can be understood through the following table:

    Feature Citation Reference
    Purpose To point to additional information To supply that additional information
    Location Within the main text Towards the end of the main text
    Amount of Information Minimal information, e.g., last names of authors and the year of publication Complete details of the resource
    Length Short, often comprising the last names of authors and the year of publication or appearing as footnotes Long and often running to several lines
    Mutual Referencing Citations correspond to references, but some citations may lack corresponding references (e.g., personal emails or unpublished data) Every reference must have a corresponding citation

    Citations are formal abbreviated references within the main part of your text that clearly and uniquely identify the author and publication year from which the details are derived. In contrast, a reference list is a list of resources used specifically for writing, providing complete details of the source. Both citations and references are essential for giving the user or reader the source of facts, images, statistics, charts, tables, and diagrams, which are a part of the article or assignment.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.