{"id":43726,"date":"2023-10-05T15:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T13:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=43726"},"modified":"2023-10-04T15:13:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T13:13:37","slug":"how-to-add-citations-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-add-citations-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Add Citations and References in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]WordPress, being a remarkably scalable and flexible CRM, is home to many different types of websites. As of 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/popupsmart.com\/blog\/wordpress-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">over 455 million websites<\/a> around the world use WordPress. Many of them are online stores, many are portfolios, SaaS and B2B websites, as well as online communities and eLearning platforms. However, WordPress is still the most popular platform for blogging. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.demandsage.com\/wordpress-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">97% of bloggers use WordPress for their blogs<\/a>. And many of them come from the academic arena.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In academic writing, it\u2019s vital to follow a certain set of rules when it comes to writing papers. How we add citations, references, and sources is particularly important. If you\u2019re publishing your academic work or research using WordPress or just need a quick and easy way to add citations and references in WordPress, you\u2019ll be happy to hear there\u2019s <strong>a new plugin designed just for that<\/strong>. Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll discuss today:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#display-citations-using-plugin\">How to Display Citations in WordPress Using a Plugin<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#add-bibliography-to-your-posts\">How to Add Bibliography to Your WordPress Posts<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#best-practices-for-citations-and-references\">Best Practices for Citations and References<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;new-top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"display-citations-using-plugin\"><\/a>How to Display Citations in WordPress Using a Plugin<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>WordPress doesn\u2019t include the citations feature by default.<\/strong> They don\u2019t come as a default Gutenberg block and don\u2019t exist in Elementor either. So, if you want to make your posts look like a page from a serious academic paper or research, you will need some outside help.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/citations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Citations<\/a> is a relatively new plugin that adds the citations and references functionality to the block editor. It has a dual function: <strong>the <em>Cite Rich Text Format<\/em> function allows you to easily add citations within your text and assign them to a source<\/strong>, which can be displayed on hover. The other function, <em>Bibliography<\/em>, <strong>displays all referenced sources<\/strong> at the bottom of the page.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]If you use a lot of sources in your blog content or you\u2019re publishing your research and other academic writing online, this plugin will be one of your most trusted aides by making your text appear professional, serious, relevant, and trustworthy.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]After downloading and installing the plugin <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the usual way<\/a>, you won\u2019t find it in the dashboard menu as a separate plugin since it doesn\u2019t require any configuration and instead simply introduces a new block to the Gutenberg editor.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]You can use the block to introduce citations and references to your existing posts or start with a new one.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Note that this plugin is <strong>designed for Gutenberg only<\/strong>. It does not introduce additional functionalities (elements) to the Elementor page builder, so you\u2019ll have to switch to block editing to use it.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In your Block Editor, access the post you want to add citations to. Select the text and, in the floating text editor menu, click on the arrow to open the dropdown where you\u2019ll find a brand new item called Cite. Clicking on it will add a sign next to your text indicating the content is a citation.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"599\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Cite.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Citations Cite\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Cite.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Cite-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Cite-768x475.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Cite-620x383.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Next, click on the highlighted text to open the box in which you can type in or edit your source. Once you\u2019re done, click on the arrow icon.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Arrow.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Citations Arrow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Arrow.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Arrow-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Arrow-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Arrow-620x341.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The source will now be displayed when the selected text is clicked upon. However, you can (and should) also add a list of the cited sources at the bottom of the text, and here\u2019s how to do it:<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"add-bibliography-to-your-posts\"><\/a>How to Add Bibliography to Your WordPress Posts<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]We\u2019re going to use the same plugin and the functionalities it provides to add a bibliography at the bottom of the text. Scroll to where you want to add the block to, click on the plus sign and then search for the block by typing. You can either add the Bibliography block or use the Citations Demo, a ready-made section with dummy content that you can simply edit.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Bibliography.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Citations Bibliography\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Bibliography.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Bibliography-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Bibliography-768x482.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-Bibliography-620x389.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]When you select the block, you\u2019ll notice that the plugin will automatically pull any citations you have used and display them.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"524\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Citations\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-768x415.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Citations-620x335.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Not only will the sources be listed, but the jump-to link will lead the readers to the appropriate source when they click on the footnote mark (number) next to the cited text.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]And that\u2019s essentially it. Thanks to the CItations plugin, you now have a quick and easy way to add citations and references to your content without having to write HTML manually.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"best-practices-for-citations-and-references\"><\/a>Best Practices for Citations and References<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Citations are a way to let readers know you\u2019ve used outside sources of information in your research or other content. Correctly attributing information is not only the right thing to do but it\u2019s also obligatory in academic and professional settings.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Plus, <strong>citations provide hard evidence of what you\u2019re stating in your text<\/strong>. So, even if you\u2019re working on a text that\u2019s not a research paper per se, it\u2019s still recommended to reference sources in order to maintain the professional and trustworthy effect of your content.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Now, if you\u2019re not skilled in citing references on the regular, you may be wondering if there\u2019s a correct way or a preset format to do so. Here are some best practices for citations and source references:<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>1. Stick to one format.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]When it comes to the format, there are several standard formats you can use, like MLA, Chicago Style or APA. It\u2019s important that <strong>once you choose a format for your content, you should stick to it and use it throughout the text<\/strong>. If you\u2019re not sure which format to choose, consult your syllabus, writing guidelines or styleguides provided by the entity you\u2019re writing for (university, research facility, company, etc). If it\u2019s just your personal blog you\u2019re writing for, select one of the most widely styles and stay consistent with it.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>2. Be mindful of how you use periods.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Periods can be tricky in citations. When using parenthetical citations, we\u2019re often unsure whether <strong>the period goes inside the parenthesis<\/strong>, or outside, or perhaps even in both places. While there\u2019s no single rule of thumb here, the period goes outside the parenthesis in all the most widely used style formats.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>3. Author, Work, Publisher, Year<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Again, it can depend on the format, but in most styles the correct way to cite a work is <em>Author last name, Author first name, Title, Publisher, Publication year<\/em>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]For works by a group of authors, either give all of their names or the first name that is cited in the referenced book itself, followed by <em>et al<\/em>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>4. Provide correct URLs<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]If you\u2019re referencing a paper or work published online, use the same sequence of credit (last name, first name etc) and include a valid URL that leads directly to the paper. Test the URL to make sure it\u2019s valid and make sure it\u2019s not an affiliate link or a link with UTMs.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>5. Make sure all citations have a corresponding reference list entry<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]If you use the Citations plugin we discussed earlier, all citations will appear in the reference list automatically. Still, check the list before publishing the post to make sure everything is in place.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">Wrapping It Up<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]WordPress users finally have a quick and easy way to add citations and reference the sources they used in their posts, thanks to the Citations plugin. The solution is extremely straightforward and spares you from having to write HTML or insert citations only in parentheses, with clunky reference lists that don\u2019t appear serious or professional at all.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The only downside to this plugin is that it doesn\u2019t provide a quick solution for Elementor or WP Bakery users, but since Gutenberg Block Editor is implemented in WordPress by default, even those using other editors can simply switch to block editing for the posts that need citations.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover how to add citations in WordPress the easy way, with a list of references and a bibliography, and without having to write a single line of HTML.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":43739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[360,46,15],"class_list":["post-43726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","tag-block-editing","tag-blogging","tag-plugins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}