Academic Arabic Source Attribution and Citation Conventions

The general term is al-tawthīq (documentation) or al-iqtibās (quotation). Al-marājiʿ refers to the list of references at the end.

A primary source is maṣdar (pl. maṣādir), while a secondary reference/book is marjiʿ (pl. marājiʿ). It’s a crucial distinction in thesis introductions.

Technically yes, but it sounds very elementary. It’s better to use verbs that describe *how* or *why* they said it, like awḍaḥa (clarified).

It means 'adapted' or 'with modification'. You use it when you've summarized an idea but changed the wording significantly.

You can use wifqan li... or bi-ḥasab.... However, a more elegant Arabic phrasing is wa-yará [Name]... (And [Name] sees/views...).

Arabic script doesn't have capital letters! Instead, we put titles in parentheses (...) or special quotation marks «...» to make them stand out.

It translates to al-marjiʿ al-sābiq (the previous reference). You'll see this a lot in footnotes.

We use nafsuh (the same) or al-maṣdar nafsuh. It saves you from writing the full title again.

Quranic verses must be exact. They are often placed in special ornate brackets ﴾...﴿ and you usually say qāla Allāh taʿālā rather than just citing it like a book.

Use the laqab (surname) or the name they are most famous by. For classical scholars, use the name they are indexed by (e.g., 'Ibn Khaldun', not his full 10 names).

Use wa-fī al-muqābil (on the other hand) or baynamā yará ākharūn (while others see). This sets up the contrast perfectly.

Traditionally, no. Use the 'royal we' (nará, nastantij - we see, we conclude) or passive voice (yumkin al-qawl - it can be said). Using 'I' (anā) can sound arrogant.

Poetry is usually centered on the page. You introduce it with wa-minhu qawl al-shāʿir... (and of this is the poet's saying...).

Zaʿama (he claimed) is the heavy hitter for doubt. Iddaʿā (alleged) is also strong. Use them carefully!

Transliterate them phonetically. 'Shakespeare' becomes Shāksbīr. It helps to put the original spelling in brackets the first time it appears.

Nawwaha means to mention or praise/highlight. Nabbaha means to alert or warn. Very different vibes!

Similar to print, but add tārīkh al-wuṣūl (access date) and al-rābiṭ (the link). The terminology is standardizing around APA/MLA translations.

These are the footnotes. In Arabic philology, the ḥāshiyah often contains the real debate, while the matn (text) stays clean.

Yes, it’s a great cohesive device to link paragraphs. It shows you have a structured argument.

Just close the quote marks. If you want to comment immediately after, use intaha (ended) in brackets rarely, but usually just start your analysis.

Write b.t. (bidūn tārīkh) which is the equivalent of 'n.d.' (no date).