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Plain explanations of citation problems and changes in citation practice. Every claim links to its source. Newest first.
What et al. means and when to use it in APA and MLAOctober 13, 2026
Et al. means and others. When APA 7 and MLA 9 want it, when they want every name, how to write it, and the mistakes that cost marks.
Paper citation: how to cite sources in your paperOctober 13, 2026
How to cite sources in a paper in APA 7 and MLA 9: in-text citations for every case, matching reference entries, a worked example and a quick-reference table.
APA 7 vs MLA 9: which one your class probably wantsOctober 13, 2026
How APA 7 and MLA 9 differ in references, in-text citations and titles, shown side by side on one real article, and how to find out which your course wants.
What a retracted paper means for your reference listOctober 13, 2026
A retracted paper can still sit in your reference list. What retraction means, how to check your sources, and how APA says to cite a retracted article.
How to find the DOI for any articleOctober 13, 2026
Where to look for an article's DOI, how to confirm it points to the right paper, how to write it, and what to do when an article has none.
Why AI tools invent citations, and how to check yoursOctober 13, 2026
AI tools can write references that look correct and do not exist. What the research found, why it happens, and a short routine for checking each reference.