# Citation checks, Zotero & writing

> Posts on AI citation verification, Zotero workflows, thesis writing, and academic integrity, from the Acurio team.

- [Ibid., op. cit., loc. cit. — using footnote shortcuts correctly](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ibid-op-cit-loc-cit-footnote-shortcuts) — 2026-08-24
  When to use ibid., op. cit., and loc. cit., which style guides still accept them, and the shortcut errors examiners catch first — with examples.
- [Citing AI-generated images: Midjourney, DALL·E & Stable Diffusion in your thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-ai-generated-images) — 2026-08-20
  Using a Midjourney image in your thesis — who counts as the author, what belongs in the caption, and how do you cite in APA 7, Chicago and Harvard? Concrete examples plus a prompt-log template.
- [How to check your citations before you submit](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/how-to-check-your-citations) — 2026-08-18
  Check your citations in one evening: the 5-step checklist with doi.org, Crossref, OpenAlex and library catalogues — and how to spot fabricated references.
- [How many sources does a bachelor's thesis need? Benchmarks by field](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/how-many-sources-for-a-bachelor-thesis) — 2026-08-17
  Bachelor's: 25–50, Master's: 50–100, Doctoral: 150+ — plus the factors that shift these rules of thumb: field, method, page count, and what examiners actually count.
- [Block quotations done right — formatting, punctuation, alternatives](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/block-quotations-done-right) — 2026-08-13
  When does a quotation become a block quote? Formatting in APA, Harvard, Chicago and MLA, punctuation, ellipses, and when to paraphrase instead.
- [Citing Technical Standards (DIN, ISO, IEEE) — the source type no style guide explains](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-standards-din-iso-ieee) — 2026-08-10
  Citing DIN, ISO, EN and IEEE standards correctly: number, edition date, publisher, drafts and withdrawn standards — with APA, Harvard and IEEE examples and the mistakes that cost marks in engineering theses.
- [AI thesis writing tools compared: Jenni AI, SciSpace, ChatGPT — and the one thing none of them check](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-thesis-writing-tools-compared) — 2026-08-07
  Jenni AI, SciSpace, Paperpal, ChatGPT and full-draft generators compared: what AI thesis writing tools actually automate — and why none of them verifies that your sources exist and support your claims.
- [Citing statistics in your thesis — cascade errors, percentage points, primary sources](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-statistics-in-a-thesis) — 2026-08-06
  How to cite statistics in a bachelor's or master's thesis: find the primary source, get percentage points right, check n, base year and definition — with APA and Harvard examples.
- [Open Access vs. paywalled — which version of a paper can you cite?](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/open-access-vs-paywalled-sources) — 2026-08-03
  Open Access, green route, Sci-Hub, preprint, version of record: which copy of a paper you're allowed to cite in your thesis — and which one lands you in an awkward conversation with your examiner.
- [MSc dissertation references: a 10-minute integrity check before submission](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/msc-dissertation-reference-check-uk) — 2026-07-31
  You've formatted your reference list in Harvard (Cite Them Right). That doesn't mean every source is real, current, or actually says what you cited it for. A 10-minute check before your UK MSc submission.
- [How to tell whether a paper is really peer-reviewed](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/how-to-identify-peer-reviewed-sources) — 2026-07-30
  Not every source with a DOI or journal name is peer-reviewed. This guide shows you step by step how to verify in seconds whether an article has actually been reviewed.
- [Citing software and code in your thesis — the practical guide](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-software-and-code) — 2026-07-27
  R, Python, SPSS, GitHub repos, Excel macros: when you need to cite software, how to do it in APA, MLA, and Chicago, and the mistakes that cost you marks.
- [AI disclosure: what you must declare in 2026](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-declaration-of-authorship) — 2026-07-26
  A German court has held that a single undeclared use of generative AI can cross the line into academic misconduct. What belongs in the declaration, what belongs in an AI log, and where the grey areas are.
- [How to check your term paper bibliography in 30 minutes](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/term-paper-source-check) — 2026-07-26
  The four classes of bibliography error, a step-by-step routine that fits in half an hour, and the AI trap that turned up in 2026. Written for term papers, not full theses.
- [Seminar paper citations: what markers actually check](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-in-a-seminar-paper) — 2026-07-26
  A seminar paper gets marked in 20 to 40 minutes. Which five places in the text and the bibliography get checked first, and how to run the same pass over your own work before you submit.
- [Citing conference papers and proceedings — APA, Harvard, Chicago](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-conference-papers-and-proceedings) — 2026-07-23
  Conference papers, proceedings, posters and abstracts done right: how APA, Harvard and Chicago handle them, when they count as sources — with examples and the common mistakes.
- [How to cite datasets — Destatis, Eurostat, Zenodo and Kaggle done right](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-datasets) — 2026-07-20
  Cite datasets in your bachelor or master thesis: required fields, DOI, version, access date — with APA, Harvard, and Chicago examples for the most common data sources.
- [Citavi for Mac: why it doesn't exist and what to use instead](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citavi-alternative-for-mac) — 2026-07-19
  Citavi has no native Mac client. The Citavi alternatives that actually work on macOS: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, Paperpile and JabRef compared — plus a step-by-step migration guide.
- [Citing lecture slides and handouts — what's allowed, what isn't](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-lecture-slides-and-handouts) — 2026-07-16
  Cite lecture slides, handouts, and unpublished course scripts correctly: when they actually count as sources, how APA, Harvard, and Chicago handle them, with examples and pitfalls.
- [Foreign-language sources: how to translate and cite them correctly in your thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-translated-foreign-language-sources) — 2026-07-13
  English, French or Chinese sources in an English- or German-language thesis: when to translate, when to keep the original, and how to document your translation so it holds up in review.
- [Citing grey literature — reports, working papers, and government publications the right way](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-grey-literature) — 2026-07-09
  NGO reports, working papers, agency publications: how to cite grey literature cleanly in your thesis and how to judge whether the source is good enough.
- [AI research tools compared: Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Research Rabbit](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-research-tools-compared) — 2026-07-06
  Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Research Rabbit — four AI-powered research tools compared side by side. What they do well, where they get it wrong, and when each one earns its place.
- [Spotting retracted papers — why withdrawn studies are dangerous in your thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/spotting-retracted-papers) — 2026-07-02
  Retracted papers keep getting cited long after publishers pull them. How to find withdrawn studies in your bibliography before they cost you grades.
- [Citing preprints in APA 7 — arXiv, bioRxiv and SSRN in a thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-preprints) — 2026-06-29
  Citing preprints in a bachelor's or master's thesis: when arXiv, bioRxiv or SSRN are acceptable sources, how to cite them correctly, and the mistakes that cost marks.
- [Avoiding link rot — keep the URLs in your thesis alive](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/avoiding-link-rot-dead-links) — 2026-06-25
  Dead URLs in the bibliography are a growing problem in academic theses. How to prevent link rot with DOIs, the Wayback Machine and Perma.cc — and salvage links that have already broken.
- [AI Cheating at University: Everyone Suspects It, Nobody Can Prove It](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/proving-ai-cheating-at-university) — 2026-06-24
  Swiss universities can't prove AI cheating — detectors are unreliable. The verifiable alternative: check the citations, not the intent.
- [Academic databases compared: Web of Science, Scopus & Google Scholar](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/academic-databases-compared) — 2026-06-22
  Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar side by side: which database for which discipline, how to search effectively, and how to spot quality in your hits.
- [Citing expert interviews — from transcript to bibliography](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-expert-interviews) — 2026-06-18
  Citing expert interviews is more than a formal question: transcripts, GDPR, anonymisation, and the precise reference format in APA, MLA, and Chicago — with examples.
- [Citing Wikipedia in your thesis — when it's allowed, when it isn't](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/wikipedia-as-a-source) — 2026-06-15
  Can you cite Wikipedia in a bachelor's or master's thesis? Clear rules on when it's legitimate, how to do it properly, and how to use Wikipedia as a stepping stone.
- [Citing podcasts, videos, and social media — the 2026 rules](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-podcasts-videos-social-media) — 2026-06-11
  Podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, X posts, LinkedIn: when they count as a source, how to cite them in APA, MLA, and Chicago, and the mistakes that get noticed.
- [Self-plagiarism — when recycling your own work becomes a problem](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/avoiding-self-plagiarism) — 2026-06-08
  Self-plagiarism sounds absurd — how can you steal from yourself? When reusing your own seminar papers in a bachelor's or master's thesis triggers proceedings, and how to handle it cleanly.
- [Citation styles compared — APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, IEEE](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citation-styles-compared) — 2026-06-04
  APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver or IEEE? Five major citation styles compared side by side — with examples, disciplinary fit, and the mistakes to avoid when switching.
- [Citing laws and court rulings — the style nobody teaches you in a bachelor's](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-laws-and-court-rulings) — 2026-06-01
  How to cite statutes and case law correctly: §, BGH, ECJ, US Supreme Court — the rules per jurisdiction, with concrete examples and the mistakes that cost points.
- [Reference managers compared: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, Citavi](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/reference-managers-compared) — 2026-05-28
  Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote or Citavi? Four reference managers in an honest comparison — strengths, costs, weak spots, and which one fits your thesis.
- [Did ChatGPT fabricate your sources? 7 ways to spot hallucinated citations](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/chatgpt-hallucinated-sources) — 2026-05-27
  ChatGPT invents plausible-sounding sources — DOIs, ISBNs, page numbers. Seven concrete tests to expose hallucinated citations in bachelor's or master's theses in minutes.
- [Footnotes vs. parenthetical citations — when to use which system](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/footnotes-vs-in-text-citations) — 2026-05-25
  Footnotes or parenthetical citations? Which system fits your discipline, how both work, and the mistakes to avoid when choosing.
- [Recognizing predatory journals — a checklist for thesis writers](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/spotting-predatory-journals) — 2026-05-21
  Predatory journals look like serious peer-reviewed publications, but they don't actually review submissions. How to spot them in your bibliography before they damage your thesis.
- [AI proofreading vs. citation verification — what are you actually checking?](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-proofreading-vs-citation-verification) — 2026-05-13
  AI proofreading polishes language. Citation verification checks truth. In the last week before submission, checking the wrong thing can fail a thesis that 'reads well'. Here's what each covers — and where the difference saves you.
- [Getting your bachelor's thesis checked: AI tools compared (2026)](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/bachelor-thesis-checker-tools-compared) — 2026-05-13
  Four tools, four problems: language, plagiarism, citations, defence. Who checks what, who misses what — and which tool you need at each stage of your bachelor's or master's thesis.
- [AI proofreading vs. citation checking — what are you actually verifying in your thesis?](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-editing-vs-citation-checking) — 2026-05-13
  AI proofreading polishes language. Citation checking verifies truth. Using the wrong tool in the final days before submission can cost you your grade, even when your text 'reads well'. What each does — and where the difference saves you.
- [AI against source hallucinations — how Acurio verifies citations](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/ai-source-hallucinations-acurio) — 2026-05-13
  Language models invent sources that don't exist. Acurio flips the principle: AI checks whether your sources really say what you claim. Here's how it works technically.
- [Getting your thesis checked: AI tools compared (2026)](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/thesis-checking-tools-compared-2026) — 2026-05-13
  Four tools, four problems: language, plagiarism, citations, defense readiness. Who checks what, who misses what — and which tool you need at which phase of your bachelor or master thesis.
- [APA 7 citations — complete guide with examples](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/apa-7-citation-guide) — 2026-05-12
  Cite in APA 7 without style errors: all rules for in-text references, reference lists, and the key changes from APA 6, with concrete examples.
- [Citing figures and tables — source, caption, list of figures](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-images-and-tables) — 2026-05-12
  Citing a figure is not the same as citing text. How to format figures, tables, and captions correctly — including examples, licences, and list of figures.
- [Citing ChatGPT as a source? What universities allow in 2026](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-chatgpt-as-a-source) — 2026-05-12
  Citing ChatGPT is tricky: when it counts as a source, when it doesn't, and how to properly disclose AI use in bachelor's and master's theses in 2026.
- [Direct vs. indirect quotation — when to use which](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/direct-vs-indirect-quotation) — 2026-05-12
  Direct quotation or paraphrase? When each approach is worth it, how to format each correctly, and the mistakes that cost you marks in the final stretch.
- [Declaration of Academic Honesty — Consequences of a Breach in Your Bachelor's Thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/false-declaration-of-authorship-consequences) — 2026-05-12
  What a declaration of academic honesty in your bachelor's thesis really means, what the consequences of a breach are, and how to protect yourself before you sign.
- [Harvard Citation Style — Rules and Examples for Your Thesis](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/harvard-referencing-style) — 2026-05-12
  Harvard referencing is not a single fixed standard but a family of author-date styles. Here are the rules, examples, and pitfalls for your thesis.
- [Citing web sources — websites, PDFs, social media referenced correctly](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/citing-internet-sources) — 2026-05-12
  Citing web sources is trickier than books: access date, archive link, version ID. Here are the required fields per source type with examples.
- [Creating a Bibliography in Word — with and without Zotero](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/create-a-bibliography-in-word) — 2026-05-12
  Bibliography in Word: two approaches compared — Word's built-in tools and the Zotero workflow. Step by step with examples.
- [Paraphrasing without plagiarism — a guide with examples](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/paraphrasing-without-plagiarism) — 2026-05-12
  Paraphrasing means more than swapping synonyms. Here's how to write clean paraphrases, add correct citations, and avoid patchwork and misquotation.
- [Secondary citations done right — when they're allowed and when they're not](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/secondary-citations-done-right) — 2026-05-12
  A secondary citation is the exception, not the rule. When academic convention accepts it, how to format it correctly, and where the pitfalls lie.
- [DOI, ISBN, ISSN — what actually belongs in a citation](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/doi-isbn-issn-in-citations) — 2026-05-11
  Three abbreviations that appear in almost every academic bibliography — but barely anyone explains when you need which one. The pragmatic overview.
- [Plagiarism vs. miscitation — the distinction nobody explains](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/plagiarism-vs-miscitation) — 2026-05-11
  Plagiarism and miscitation are not the same error. Confusing them means missing the costlier mistake when you review your own thesis. Here's the distinction.
- [Checking citations in your bachelor's thesis — the 2026 checklist](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/checking-quotes-in-a-bachelor-thesis) — 2026-05-11
  How to systematically check every citation in your bachelor's or master's thesis against the source in the final stretch — no plagiarism, no misquotation, no all-nighter.
- [Getting the most out of Zotero — 17 workflow tips for students](https://acurio.ch/en/blog/zotero-workflow-tips) — 2026-05-11
  Zotero can do far more than collect sources. These seventeen workflow tips make working with your library faster, cleaner, and audit-ready.

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Source: https://acurio.ch/en/blog