Hello everyone:

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine who to quote in your writing, since the author’s name may be buried somewhere in the article you are reading, but here’s a hint: his or her name is not Mr. or Ms. Ibid. Ever.

When you see the word “ibid” as a reference, what that means in layman’s terms is “I am quoting the same person I just quoted a minute ago, so look at the reference before this one to get that person’s name.”  [This is a very loose translation here; the paraphrase is mine.]

You might have to do a bit of looking back, especially if the article or book you are reading has a whole section where it refers to that same original author. Be persistent here and do not throw in the towel by citing “ibid.” Instead, go backwards with the citations until you run into an actual name. That is the person to cite.

What citation questions have you run into with your own writing? BTW, I am happy to answer questions on topics other than what I have blogged about. Just post your question as a reply and I may turn it into a blog for next time, if it is a subject that others might enjoy hearing about.

Best,

Dr. Sheri