TheInternationalists.org uses citations to make evidence traceable, acknowledge the work of others, and help readers investigate a subject further. This policy governs source selection, attribution, references, quotations, and links across our editorial content. It works alongside the Research Standards, Editorial Policy, and relevant verification policies.
Sources must support the specific claims attached to them. Important factual assertions, quotations, statistics, production credits, historical conclusions, and attributed interpretations require appropriate evidence. A reference should lead readers to material that supports the statement, including its qualifications. A source discussing the same general topic is not necessarily sufficient.
Source selection depends on the question. Production programmes, scripts, recordings, institutional records, correspondence, interviews, reviews, scholarly publications, and official announcements serve different purposes. An organiser can establish its published application conditions; a reviewer can document a critical response. Neither should be presented as independent confirmation of every related claim.
We consider provenance, expertise, date, methods, purpose, and independence when assessing a source. Promotional language should remain attributed. Several pages reproducing one press release do not provide several independent accounts. Where reliable sources disagree, citations should help readers understand the disagreement rather than conceal it.
We cite material actually examined. If a claim is known only through a secondary account, that account should be identified and the relationship made clear. Reading an abstract, catalogue description, excerpt, or translated summary must not be represented as consulting an entire work. Missing authors, dates, page numbers, or publication details must not be completed by guesswork.
References should contain enough information to locate the material used. Depending on the source, this includes:
- Books and chapters: Author or editor, title, relevant edition, publisher, publication year, and page range.
- Journal articles: Author, article title, journal, year, volume or issue, relevant pages, and DOI or stable link where available.
- Production programmes: Production title, producing organisation, venue, performance dates or edition, and relevant page or credit section.
- Archival records: Creator, document title or description, date, collection, holding institution, and reference identifier where available.
- Webpages: Author or issuing organisation, page title, publication or revision date where known, direct URL, and access date when useful.
- Recordings and interviews: Speaker or creator, title or interview description, recording or publication date, platform or collection, and relevant timestamp where available.
For plays, translations, and adaptations, identify the particular text or performance version being discussed. Credit the playwright, translator, and adapter as relevant. Page, act, scene, or other location references should match the edition consulted. Similar titles or translated titles must not cause records from different productions to be merged.
Quotations must preserve the source’s meaning. Direct quotations should be accurate and clearly attributed. Ellipses and editorial additions must not change the substance of the passage. A paraphrase also requires attribution when it draws on a source’s distinctive account or argument. Close rewriting without acknowledgement is not acceptable.
Published translations should identify their translator and edition where available. A translation prepared for an article should be labelled accordingly. Significant interpretation dependent on wording should be checked against the original where possible, with any language limitations disclosed. Unverified machine output must not be presented as an authorised translation.
Citations should appear close enough to show which statement they support. Articles may use descriptive links, numbered notes, or a consistent reference list. A bibliography alone should not leave the basis of a disputed claim unclear. Material consulted as background or recommended for further reading should be distinguishable from evidence supporting a specific assertion.
Digital references should preserve version and date context. Link to the relevant document, record, or programme rather than a general homepage where practical. For archived webpages, identify the original source and the capture consulted. A capture or access date must not be substituted for an unknown publication or event date. Automated transcription and extracted text should be checked against the source before quotation.
For opportunity summaries and directory entries, cite the responsible organisation’s relevant page and record the actual checking date. The reference must concern the correct application round or resource. A previous year’s announcement cannot establish current availability. Changed source material should be assessed under the Directory & Opportunity Verification Policy.
Interview and personal-communication references should describe their nature honestly and respect agreed publication conditions. Non-public material must not be presented as publicly accessible. Confidential details should not be exposed merely to make a citation more complete. Attribution and relevant limitations should be explained without promising readers access that has not been authorised.
Images, charts, and datasets require their own credits and sources. Derived figures should identify the underlying material and relevant calculations or exclusions. Permission to reproduce material is a separate question from citation and is addressed in the Image Credits & Permissions policy.
AI-generated references require independent verification. Search results and automated suggestions are research leads. Before publication, a person must confirm that a cited item exists, its details are accurate, and its content supports the claim. Fabricated references and invented quotations are unacceptable.
Broken, corrected, withdrawn, or materially revised sources should prompt reassessment of affected claims. Readers may report inaccurate citations or suggest stronger evidence through the Contact page. Please identify the article, reference, and relevant passage. Substantive errors should be addressed under the Corrections Policy.
Further reading: American Historical Association guidance on documentation and acknowledgement of sources. AHA