Activity Showcase: Citation as Rhetorical Practice

One of the goals of PWR 1 and 2 courses is to provide students with a framework to understand research-based writing as a process of engaging ideas and participating in a scholarly conversation. We teach citations as both rhetorical and ethical practice—the means by which research writers contextualize their projects within a larger narrative, amplify particular voices, provide a research trail for their readers, justify and distinguish their arguments, and establish a credible ethos. As citation practices differ across disciplines, we emphasize awareness of conventions as an aspect of the rhetorical situation and knowledge of citation resources. However, while we aim to establish in students a basic understanding of the why and how of citation practices in our first- and second-year required courses, PWR 1 and PWR 2 are just the first step in Stanford students' ongoing education in being thoughtful and ethical researchers; Stanford's Writing in the Major courses offer students with the next step, providing them with discipline-specific instruction on this central aspect of scholarly writing.

We hope this archive of PWR teaching activities exploring the rhetorical function, ethics and mechanics of citation provides some models -- and inspiration -- for teaching citation to first- and second-year students. Also featured below are helpful citation resources that teachers might find useful to share with their students for a timely refresher on the topic.