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Watch Out for These! (Courtesy of Jill Burns)

What is an Auto-Citation?  

An auto-citation is one that is computer-generated and taken from an online source, such as an article database or a web page.  Auto-citations are made up from elements that are available to the generator, and may not have all the parts, or may be generated based on faulty information.  The best way to guard against bad auto-citations is to double check them against a known format, such as the Library's guide to APA Citations.

Five Common Auto-Citation Errors

1.  Capitalization

2.  Italicizing

3.  Periods

4.  Hanging Indents

5.  Mistaken Parts