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Truth, Trust, and Citation in Scholarship

In an age of information overload, where ideas travel across screens faster than we can verify them, citing sources might seem like a formality — a technical requirement to pass an assignment or meet a journal’s standards. But in reality, footnotes, citations, and bibliographies are the quiet backbone of ethical scholarship. They tell a story not just of what we know, but of how we know it. And in doing so, they build trust.

At the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice, we are deeply concerned with the integrity of truth-telling — in theological thought, in public discourse, in the narratives of those most affected by injustice. Citing our sources accurately is more than an academic convention; it’s a moral act.

Citation as a Sign of Respect

Quoting someone else's words or using their ideas without acknowledgment isn't just lazy — it's dishonest. But beyond questions of plagiarism, citation is a way of giving credit where it’s due. It tells readers: "This insight came from somewhere. I didn’t invent it, and I’m not claiming to."

In fields like theology, ethics, and social justice, where ideas often stem from centuries of dialogue and dissent, proper citation is a way of joining the conversation with humility. We recognize our intellectual ancestors — from Bartolomé de las Casas to bell hooks — by acknowledging their work, not absorbing it into our own without recognition.

The Footnote as a Gesture of Transparency

Footnotes may seem like the most technical part of a paper. They are filled with parentheses, commas, page numbers — hardly the stuff of inspiration. But they carry a deeper message: "Here is where this claim comes from. You can verify it."

In this way, citations serve as evidence trails. They allow readers to trace the path of your thinking. If you argue that poverty rates have risen in a particular region or that liberation theology has influenced modern activism, your citations show where you got that information. They build accountability into your argument.

In historical and archival research — central to much of our work at Las Casas — this transparency is non-negotiable. When citing oral testimony from divided communities or referencing colonial-era texts, footnotes give readers the context needed to evaluate the claim themselves.

Trust in a Time of Misinformation

In today’s fragmented information landscape, trust is a rare currency. We are inundated with news, opinion, and pseudo-scholarship, often with no clear sourcing or accountability. Citation — when done correctly — cuts through the noise.

Using a consistent and rigorous citation style shows readers you’ve done your homework. You haven’t cherry-picked ideas from the internet or passed off generalizations as research. Instead, you’ve engaged with verifiable, peer-reviewed, or primary sources. You’ve placed your work within an established tradition of knowledge production.

This is especially crucial when writing about contested issues — human rights, migration, race, inequality. Readers (and critics) will ask: “How do you know this?” A well-placed citation is your answer.

Which Style Tells Your Story Best?

Of course, citation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on your discipline, different styles help shape the story you're telling. APA (American Psychological Association): Often used in education and the social sciences, APA style foregrounds the date of publication. This reflects a discipline where up-to-date research is key. If you’re writing about current policy changes or the latest psychological studies on trauma, APA helps emphasize recency.

MLA (Modern Language Association): Common in the humanities, especially literature and language studies, MLA focuses on author and page number. It’s great for close textual analysis or thematic interpretation.

Chicago Style: Frequently used in history, theology, and publishing, Chicago offers both footnote-based and author-date systems. For research that relies on archival material or multiple layers of context, Chicago’s footnote method offers the richest storytelling potential.

For a helpful breakdown of these three major styles — and how to choose among them — the APA, MLA, or Chicago? Citation Style Guide 2025 offers side-by-side comparisons, examples, and formatting tips.

Citation in Context: Ethical Dilemmas

In practice, citing ethically isn’t always straightforward. Consider the following situations:

What if the source contains harmful or biased views?

You might be quoting from a colonial text or political document that reflects the injustice you’re critiquing. In such cases, citation does not imply endorsement — but it should reflect clarity. Annotated citations or contextual footnotes can help address this.

What about oral histories or interviews from vulnerable communities?

These sources may not fit into standard citation styles. Still, they deserve recognition. Scholars working with indigenous, refugee, or conflict-affected voices must find ways to cite that protect anonymity where needed, but also affirm the validity of lived experience.

Can we cite social media or personal blogs?

Increasingly, yes — but with care. If a grassroots activist shares vital insight on Instagram or a whistleblower publishes on a personal blog, that content may be relevant. However, check for permanence, attribution, and reliability. Tools like Zotero or Mendeley can help organize such non-traditional sources while maintaining standards of citation.

Teaching Integrity, Not Just Formatting

At the heart of this conversation lies pedagogy. Teaching students to cite well is not about making them memorize comma placement or font size. It’s about instilling a culture of Research, Writing and Integrity — where scholarship is built not only on information, but on responsibility, acknowledgment, and transparency.

When we ask our students to cite, we’re not asking them to check boxes — we’re asking them to think relationally. Where did this idea come from? Who else has spoken on this issue? How can I add to the dialogue respectfully?

For educators looking to support students in developing citation literacy across disciplines, the Research, Writing & Integrity blog offers a clear and accessible breakdown of APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, with comparisons, examples, and thoughtful guidance on choosing the most appropriate format for the context.

Good citation habits often go hand in hand with better research practices. Students who cite well tend to read more critically, write more thoughtfully, and engage more deeply with the communities and traditions they’re studying.

A Note on Tools and Accessibility

In a perfect world, we would all master multiple citation styles by hand. But let’s be real — most of us use tools.

That’s fine. Tools like BibGuru, Zotero, Mendeley, and Cite This For Me can save time and reduce formatting errors. Google Docs add-ons like Paperpile are also popular.

What’s essential is that we don’t outsource responsibility to these tools. Auto-generated citations should always be double-checked — not just for accuracy, but for completeness. A truncated source list, missing author name, or misplaced comma may seem trivial, but these details reflect our attention to truth.

Cite Like You Mean It

In a world where truth is often contested and trust must be earned, citation is a quiet but powerful ethical tool. It says: I didn’t make this up. I stand on the shoulders of others. And I want you to see where I’m coming from.

Whether you're writing a thesis on migration ethics, a blog post on economic justice, or a sermon on dignity, let your citations do more than comply — let them testify.

Footnotes are not just about formatting. They are about fidelity — to sources, to truth, to the communities we serve.

📝 “Cite your sources as if your reputation depends on it — because it does.”