CPW Research and Source Citation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In legal and government writing, the citation style most commonly required is:
- APA 7th edition
- The Bluebook (Correct answer)
- Chicago 17th edition
- IEEE style
Correct answer: The Bluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard citation style used in US legal writing for cases, statutes, and legal documents.
Question 2: When citing a source found in a library database, APA 7 generally prefers which identifier over a database URL?
- ISSN number
- DOI (Correct answer)
- Database name and accession number
- Publisher's website URL
Correct answer: DOI
APA 7 prioritizes the DOI over database URLs because DOIs are stable, permanent identifiers that work regardless of database subscription status.
Question 3: What is 'citation chaining' as a research strategy?
- Citing the same source multiple times in one paragraph
- Using a source's reference list to find additional relevant sources (Correct answer)
- Linking citations with transitional phrases
- Creating a chain of footnotes across multiple pages
Correct answer: Using a source's reference list to find additional relevant sources
Citation chaining involves examining the references within a useful source to discover additional relevant literature on the same topic.
Question 4: A professional writer is quoting from a 1985 book that itself quotes a 1923 letter. The writer has not seen the original letter. How should this be handled in APA?
- Cite only the 1923 letter as the original source
- Use 'as cited in' to credit both the original and secondary source (Correct answer)
- Omit the quote since the original cannot be verified
- Cite only the 1985 book with no mention of the letter
Correct answer: Use 'as cited in' to credit both the original and secondary source
APA style uses 'as cited in' for secondary sources when the original document is unavailable, crediting both the original author and the secondary source where it was found.
Question 5: Which element distinguishes a scholarly journal from a trade publication?
- Scholarly journals are always free to access
- Scholarly journals use peer review; trade publications are reviewed by editors only (Correct answer)
- Trade publications contain more data and statistics
- Scholarly journals publish more frequently
Correct answer: Scholarly journals use peer review; trade publications are reviewed by editors only
Scholarly journals require peer review by subject-matter experts before publication, whereas trade publications are reviewed only by editorial staff.
Question 6: What does 'et al.' mean in a citation, and when is it used?
- And elsewhere; used when the source has no listed location
- And others; used when a source has multiple authors (Correct answer)
- And following; used for page ranges
- And all; used for multi-volume works
Correct answer: And others; used when a source has multiple authors
'Et al.' is Latin for 'and others' and is used in citations when a source has multiple authors, replacing the names of all authors beyond the first (rules vary by style).
Question 7: When integrating statistics from a government report into a document, the most important citation practice is:
- Always converting statistics to percentages before citing
- Citing the specific table or page where the data appears (Correct answer)
- Paraphrasing all numbers in words to avoid errors
- Using only the most recent data regardless of relevance
Correct answer: Citing the specific table or page where the data appears
When citing statistics, writers should include the specific table number or page so readers can locate and verify the exact data point within a lengthy government report.
CPW Research and Source Citation 5
In legal and government writing, the citation style most commonly required is: