Proceedings Citation Guide

Sources and Methodology

Every rule on this site comes from the body that owns it. This page explains how we research, which publishers we rely on and why we are independent of all of them.

Last updated 6 November 2026

On this page
  1. How the content is researched
  2. Source hierarchy
  3. Primary publishers we rely on
  4. Indexes, licences, ethics and archives
  5. Style versions, errors and updates
  6. What this site does not cover
  7. Independence statement
  8. Frequently asked questions
  9. Sources and further reading
  10. Related topics

In brief

  • Primary sources are official manuals and documentation of the organisations that set the rules.
  • Every example reference is fictional.
  • The site is not affiliated with CEUR-WS.org or any publisher, index or standards body.
  • Style manuals change; we name the edition we use.

How the content is researched

We write each page from scratch. For every rule about a style, an identifier or an index, we read the official documentation and then state the rule in our own words. We quote at most a short phrase and always name the source.

Where we cannot confirm a point, we say so, give a general statement or leave it out. We do not invent figures, dates, case names or papers. All example references on the site use made-up authors, titles and DOIs, so none can be mistaken for a real paper.

Source hierarchy

When sources disagree, we rank them as follows.

  1. Official manuals and standards. Style guides from their owners and the documentation of identifier agencies.
  2. Platform documentation. Help pages of indexes, repositories and reference tools, for statements about how those systems behave.
  3. Venue instructions. A conference or journal template, which overrides a general style for papers sent there.
  4. Secondary guides. University library guides, used only to explain or to find the primary page, never as the sole basis for a rule.

Search-engine snippets, forum posts and AI-generated summaries are not sources. They can point to a primary page, but we confirm every claim there.

Primary publishers we rely on

Citation style guides

Identifiers and metadata

Indexes, licences, ethics and archives

For statements about whether a given source is indexed, we send readers to the index itself and do not make coverage claims. See Scopus and Web of Science checks.

Style versions, errors and updates

Style manuals are revised. We name the edition on each style page, such as APA 7th, Chicago 17th (an 18th edition now exists) and MLA 9th, and we show the date of the last update in the page footer. Harvard has no single official version, so we describe common variants and ask you to follow your institution's guide. See Harvard referencing.

When we find an error, we correct the page and update its date. If you think a page is wrong, send the page address and the primary source that says otherwise, using the contact details on the site. We cannot give individual citation advice or legal advice.

Links to external sites are marked nofollow and should be re-checked from time to time. Some publisher sites block automated tools, so a link can fail for a script while working for a person.

What this site does not cover

The guide is about papers in workshop and conference proceedings. It does not try to replace the full manuals, which contain many more cases than we can explain. It also does not rank venues, publishers or series, and it does not tell you whether a particular event is suitable for your work.

We do not provide checks for plagiarism, and we do not offer advice on avoiding detection by similarity software. Our tools, the reference formatter and the checklist, work from the information you supply and do not look anything up for you.

If you need to judge the quality of a series, read how to evaluate a proceedings series, and rely on the evidence you can verify at the source, not on claims made on a venue's own website.

Independence statement

This website is independent. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by CEUR-WS.org or any other proceedings host, publisher, index, repository or standards body, including all organisations named on this page. Product and organisation names are used only to identify the sources of the rules.

We do not claim any official role. Nothing here is a ruling on how a venue treats your paper, and descriptions of indexes or repositories are neutral and limited to facts from their own pages. For a binding answer, ask the venue, publisher or institution concerned. See also the glossary.

Frequently asked questions

Why are all example references fictional?

Real references could mislead readers or point to real people. Fictional ones show the format without risk.

How do you choose which style edition to describe?

We describe the edition that the owner currently promotes and name it on the page. Check which edition your venue requires.

Is this site connected with CEUR-WS.org?

No. It is independent and has no affiliation with CEUR-WS.org or any other publisher or index.

What should I do if a source link is broken?

Search the publisher's site for the document title, or use the Wayback Machine. Then tell us so we can fix it.

Do you give legal or academic advice?

No. The pages are general information. Check with your institution or the venue for rules that apply to you.

Sources and further reading

  1. American Psychological Association — APA Style
  2. IEEE — IEEE Reference Guide
  3. University of Chicago Press — The Chicago Manual of Style Online
  4. Modern Language Association — MLA Style Center
  5. DOI Foundation — DOI Foundation
  6. Crossref — Crossref documentation
  7. DataCite — DataCite Support
  8. ISSN International Centre — ISSN International Centre
  9. Internet Archive — Internet Archive Help Center