If you read last week's blog, you know that in a world full of generative AI, citing and referencing your sources is the golden invite to ethical, scholarly conversations.

But there's a lot to it. While often we get hung up on following a format exactly right, there are other--perhaps more important--reasons why citing sources correctly is deemed a crucial part of research. Just like traffic signs and place settings help people to avoid bumping into one another, using a style guide and/or a citation manager like Turnitin Clarity's citation assistant, is essentially a roadmap to furthering academic conversations and deepening the discussion by assuring that others can easily follow the research. 

In my classroom, I would probably have rolled out the Citation checklist a section or two at a time so as not to overwhelm students who are just learning the basics. The focus is placed on accuracy, incorporation, consistency, source quality, and academic integrity, with several sub-bullets under each category so it's clear what is required. 

Thinking about the why is at least as important so make sure that requirements are clear and concise--and allow for plenty of practice!