ShaneLogic/academic-citation-formatting

Academic Citation Formatting

Use this skill when creating, validating, or parsing bibliographic citations in academic writing, reference lists, or literature reviews.

When to Use

• Formatting citations for journal articles, books, or conference proceedings
• Converting raw reference data into standardized citation format
• Validating that citations follow proper academic conventions
• Parsing existing citations to extract bibliographic elements

Core Workflow

1. Identify Reference Type

Examine the citation elements to determine the source type:

• Journal Article: Contains journal name, volume number, and page numbers
• Book: Contains publisher and location, no journal/volume
• Conference Proceeding: Contains 'in' keyword with conference name
• Book Chapter: Contains 'in' keyword with book title and 'ed. by' editor information

2. Gather Required Elements

Collect the following components based on reference type:

• Authors: Full list with initials followed by surnames
• Source: Journal name, book title, or conference name
• Publication Details: Volume, pages, publisher, location, or page numbers
• Year: Publication year in parentheses

3. Apply Format Pattern

Format the citation according to the identified type:

• Separate authors with commas
• Use 'et al.' for extended author lists
• Format volume numbers in bold notation
• Enclose year in parentheses
• Use en-dashes for page ranges (e.g., 291–301)

4. Handle Special Cases

• Multiple works by same author in same year: Add letter suffix (2000a, 2000b)
• Missing information: Use available data or appropriate placeholders
• Abbreviated journal names: Use standard abbreviations (Phys. Rev., J. Appl. Phys.)

Common Formats

Journal Article: Author(s). Journal Name Vol, Page (Year) Book: Author. Book Title (Publisher, City, Year) Conference: Author(s), in Conference Name (Year), p. page Book Chapter: Author(s), in Book Title, ed. by Editor (Publisher, City, Year), pp. range