---
name: citation-management
title: Keep Citations Traceable From Claim to Source
description: Attach every literature-derived claim to a specific, checkable citation, and keep the citation set consistent across a document's revisions.
keywords:
- level:L0
- scientific-method
---

Attach a citation at the point a claim is made, not gathered loosely at the
end of a section — a reader must be able to check which specific source
supports which specific sentence. A citation to a review paper for a claim the
review itself attributes to a primary source should point to the primary
source when it was actually read.

Keep the reference list and in-text citations synchronized: a citation added,
reworded, or removed during revision must update both the marker and the
list entry in the same pass. Use a consistent format (author-date, numbered)
matched to the target venue's requirement, not a house default.

Flag a claim that has lost its citation during editing (moved between
sections, merged with another claim) rather than letting it stand
uncited — an uncited claim in a scientific document reads as the author's own
assertion.

Return the citation list with its format, a check that every in-text marker
resolves to an entry, and any claim found without a supporting citation.