Acknowledging and referencing the sources of information or knowledge that have been used in a particular work (such as an academic paper, article, or report). This process typically involves including a citation (usually in a specific format such as APA, MLA, or Chicago style) that provides details about the source (such as author, title, date, and publication) within the body of the work, as well as a list of references at the end of the work that provides more detailed information about each source. By citing sources in this way, the author of a work can provide readers with a mechanism to locate and access the sources themselves, as well as to evaluate the credibility and reliability of the information presented. In addition, citing sources also helps to establish a chain of knowledge and understanding, by linking the ideas and arguments presented in the work to those that have been developed by others in the same field or discipline.