2.1 General Citation Principles

Citations show readers where information comes from. They allow readers to verify quotations, check claims, and locate sources for further study.

In student papers, cite a source when you:

• quote another source directly;
• paraphrase or summarize another writer’s argument;
• use a distinctive idea, interpretation, or classification from another source;
• give specific historical, textual, bibliographic, or factual information that is not common knowledge;
• refer to a particular passage in a commentary, article, or book.

Common knowledge does not usually need a citation. For example, a paper does not need a citation for the general statement that Aleister Crowley was a British writer and occultist. A paper should cite a source, however, for specific claims about Crowley’s writings, publication history, doctrines, rituals, reception, or influence.

A citation should give enough information for the reader to find the source. For books and articles, this usually means the author, title, publication information, and page number. For Thelemic hierological texts, it may mean a chapter, verse, paragraph, section, or other stable internal division. For online sources, it may include the author or editor, page or document title, website or archive, URL, and date accessed when needed.

Avoid both missing citations and unnecessary citations. Missing citations make it unclear where information came from. Excessive citations can make a paper hard to read, especially when the same source is cited after every sentence. When several sentences in a row discuss the same source, one clear citation may be enough, provided the source remains obvious.

Citations should be accurate and honest. Cite only sources that have actually been consulted, and do not cite a source for information it does not support. When a writer relies on another author’s citation without checking the original source, that dependence should be made clear.