Library - Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to cite the source every time I use it in the same paragraph?

When you are using the same source multiple times in a row and are considering not citing after every single sentence, the question to ask yourself is whether or not it would be clear to the reader that this comes from the same source. If it would be clear, you can reduce the number of in-text citations. If it would be not clear, you should keep them in. You can also adjust the wording so that it is is more clear. (For example, by saying something like "Smith explains how X causes Y" (with in-text citation) and then elaborating on it.)

Take a look at the example below, in the text on the left, it is clear that both sentences are talking about the same study. In the text on the right, it is less clear.

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