Numerous databases, library catalogs,and other resources will provide a sample citation for a selected item. This is a very useful option but can also be a source of frustration.
Lincoln Christian University strongly advises students to exercise caution when utilizing these citations and to very carefully check that the citation matches the SBL Handbook of Style.
The final responsibility for an accurate citation rests on the shoulders of the individual student as the paper's author. Professors will not accept the excuse "That's what the computer said."
Watch for the following areas of concern when utilizing citation generators:
- Each of the citation generators provides a note reminding students to carefully check citations.
- None of the citation generators provide an SBL specific citation style. Several provide a Chicago or Turabian style example. However, some citation generators do not reference the 9th edition of Turabian or the 17th edition of Chicago but continue to reference an earlier version.
- When copying the citation from the generator to a paper, the word processing program utilized will change the spacing and indents.
- Double-check that the capitalization matches the SBL style. The generator is simply rearranging the data into the appropriate order but is unable to adapt the capitalization which may be in headline style, sentence style, or even all capitals.
- The citation generator will not incorporate any changes and requirements used by Lincoln Christian University or a specific professor.
- Citation generators typically only create a bibliography entry and not a footnote.
Given these concerns, some individuals may feel it is easier to edit the citation produced by a citation generator than to create their own citation.
