Is it ever ok to use a citation as part of a sentence?

Question

I've been reading literature in a scientific field that consistently uses citations as part of a sentence. For example,

"As we've learned from (Charles 2010, 10-14), some animals can regenerate organs."

I've always thought this was clearly wrong and the title of the work should be listed instead of the citation; however, it's occuring so frequently that I'm left wondering if it's okay after all.

Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks!

JohnParis · Accepted Answer

I do.

It depends upon the journal and the instructions to authors specified by the editors.

Clearly, in your example, the citation is incorrect. An author should never use a part of the citation as part of the sentence. It should read:

As we've learned, some animals can regenerate organs (Charles 2010, 10-14).

However, some low-grade (low impact factor) online journals are so poorly written that it no longer surprises me to see all sorts of of grammatical aberrations .

You say "the title of the work should be listed instead of the citation." Not necessarily. Often, the principal author and the date are acceptable if the citation makes reference to a previously published article.

Scientific journals, like most compositions, are either good or "not so good". If you would like to read well written scientific articles, take a look at anything from the New England Journal of Medicine or The Lancet.

Also, take a look at their "instructions to authors" section to see how citations should be handled. They are the gold standard.

John

Is it ever ok to use a citation as part of a sentence?

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