Citation Guide for the International Treaty Law Wiki
Citation Guide for the International Treaty Law Wiki
This guide explains how to cite sources correctly in the International Treaty Law Wiki. It covers *general citation principles*, **formatting rules**, and the use of all available **citation templates**. The goal is to ensure clarity, consistency, and academic reliability across all articles.
1. General Principles of Citation
Accurate citation is essential for:
- Verifying information
- Ensuring transparency
- Supporting academic and legal research
- Maintaining the credibility of the Wiki
Every factual statement that is not *common knowledge* should be supported by a citation.
When to cite
A citation is required when:
- Quoting or paraphrasing a source
- Referring to treaties, UN documents, or case law
- Using data, statistics, or legal interpretations
- Citing books, journals, or preprints
- Linking to external websites or archived pages
Where to place citations
Citations should be placed:
- **Immediately after the sentence** they support
- **Before punctuation**
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> The Convention entered into force on 27 January 1980.[1] </syntaxhighlight>
2. Using Citation Templates
The Wiki provides a set of lightweight, easy‑to‑use citation templates. Templates ensure **consistent formatting** and reduce manual work.
Below is an overview of all available templates and when to use them.
3. Web Sources
Template:Cite web
Use for websites, online articles, UN pages, and institutional resources.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [2] </syntaxhighlight>
4. Books
Template:Cite book
Use for monographs, textbooks, and printed works.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [3] </syntaxhighlight>
5. Journal Articles
Template:Cite journal
Use for academic journal publications.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [4] </syntaxhighlight>
6. Encyclopedias
Template:Cite encyclopedia
Use for encyclopedia entries, including legal encyclopedias.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [5] </syntaxhighlight>
7. Archived Sources
Template:Webarchive
Use when linking to archived versions of webpages.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [6] </syntaxhighlight>
8. Treaties
Template:Cite treaty
Use for treaty texts, authenticated copies, and treaty metadata.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [7] </syntaxhighlight>
9. UN Documents
Template:Cite UN document
Use for UN documents with official symbols (A/…, S/…, E/…, etc.).
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [8] </syntaxhighlight>
10. UN Resolutions
Template:Cite resolution
Use for General Assembly or Security Council resolutions.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [9] </syntaxhighlight>
11. Case Law
Template:Cite case law
Use for decisions of the ICJ, ICC, WTO, ITLOS, and other tribunals.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [10] </syntaxhighlight>
12. Press Releases
Template:Cite press release
Use for official announcements from courts, UN bodies, or governments.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [11] </syntaxhighlight>
13. Reports
Template:Cite report
Use for reports by UN bodies, NGOs, commissions, or expert groups.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [12] </syntaxhighlight>
14. Preprints
Template:Cite preprint
Use for SSRN, arXiv, OSF, HAL, and similar platforms.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [13] </syntaxhighlight>
15. DOI Sources
Template:Cite DOI
Use when the DOI is the primary identifier.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [14] </syntaxhighlight>
16. ISBN Sources
Template:Cite ISBN
Use for books identified by ISBN.
Example: <syntaxhighlight lang="text"> [15] </syntaxhighlight>
17. Displaying References
At the end of each article, add:
<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
References
</syntaxhighlight>
This automatically displays all citations.
Conclusion
These citation rules ensure that all articles in the International Treaty Law Wiki follow a **consistent**, *professional*, and **academically reliable** standard. By using the provided templates, contributors can cite treaties, UN documents, case law, books, journals, and digital sources with ease and precision.