Building better citation practices in public health research: Practical considerations for student researchers, from source discovery to crafting and positioning claims
- 1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
Abstract
Discovering, selecting, and citing sources to craft claims is fundamental to public health research and writing. Sources influence our research questions, shape our methodological approaches, connect our work to the broader public health literature, and affect how successfully our writing persuades readers that our research is valuable and that our arguments are sound. Despite the importance of source and citation practices to successful scientific writing, many student researchers receive limited or no formal training on these practices, particularly on drawing from sources to build persuasive arguments. Without specific training, many student researchers struggle to use sources effectively and often encounter pitfalls such as citation bias, quotation errors, and academic plagiarism. In this article, we provide practical considerations for effective source use and citation practices for academic papers. We highlight best practices for source discovery, from strategies for conducting comprehensive literature searches to active reading and synthesis techniques that inform academic thinking and writing. Given the rise of AI, including generative AI and AI-powered research tools, we address both the potential benefits such tools can offer and the potential pitfalls arising from uncritical use. Finally, we discuss selecting and using sources to craft and position claims, including choosing sources to support different types of claims, building credible arguments, and framing citations to reflect a stance or judgment. In this article, we offer practical introductory advice for student researchers to strengthen their source use and citation practices. Using this guidance as a starting point, student researchers can improve the quality of their publications and refine their reading, critical thinking, and writing skills which will serve them throughout their research careers.
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BibTeX
@article{august2026building,
title = {{Building better citation practices in public health research: Practical considerations for student researchers, from source discovery to crafting and positioning claims}},
author = {Ella August and Andrea Mahieu and Andrew F. Brouwer},
journal = {PLOS Global Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pgph.0007257},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007257},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Building better citation practices in public health research: Practical considerations for student researchers, from source discovery to crafting and positioning claims
AU - Ella August
AU - Andrea Mahieu
AU - Andrew F. Brouwer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
JO - PLOS Global Public Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0007257
UR - https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007257
AB - Discovering, selecting, and citing sources to craft claims is fundamental to public health research and writing. Sources influence our research questions, shape our methodological approaches, connect our work to the broader public health literature, and affect how successfully our writing persuades readers that our research is valuable and that our arguments are sound. Despite the importance of source and citation practices to successful scientific writing, many student researchers receive limited or no formal training on these practices, particularly on drawing from sources to build persuasive arguments. Without specific training, many student researchers struggle to use sources effectively and often encounter pitfalls such as citation bias, quotation errors, and academic plagiarism. In this article, we provide practical considerations for effective source use and citation practices for academic papers. We highlight best practices for source discovery, from strategies for conducting comprehensive literature searches to active reading and synthesis techniques that inform academic thinking and writing. Given the rise of AI, including generative AI and AI-powered research tools, we address both the potential benefits such tools can offer and the potential pitfalls arising from uncritical use. Finally, we discuss selecting and using sources to craft and position claims, including choosing sources to support different types of claims, building credible arguments, and framing citations to reflect a stance or judgment. In this article, we offer practical introductory advice for student researchers to strengthen their source use and citation practices. Using this guidance as a starting point, student researchers can improve the quality of their publications and refine their reading, critical thinking, and writing skills which will serve them throughout their research careers.
SN - 2767-3375
ER -