Citations - Meaning Of C.f. (academic Writing Style) Home » What Is Cf. In Writing » Citations - Meaning Of C.f. (academic Writing Style) Maybe your like When Is Trick Or Treat 2021 Columbus Ohio When Is Trick Or Treat 2021 Okc When Is Tj Maxx Yellow Tag Sale 2021 What Is Cavetowns Real Name When Is Toddler Constipation An Emergency Citations - Meaning of c.f. (academic writing style) Factual Questions Harriet_the_Spry May 17, 2008, 1:31pm 1 When an author cites another study, but prefaces the citation with c.f., what does that mean? I have heard two opinions. The first is that it is for citing a conflicting opinion “Most scholars believe the world is flat (c.f. Columbus, 1492)…” The second is that it is for citing only one of many studies providing the same information “There are many accounts of travel in the 1400s (c.f. Columbus, 1492) …” Are either of these correct? The sources I have checked explain it means “confer” or “compare,” but that doesn’t really make the usage clear to me. KneadToKnow May 17, 2008, 1:50pm 2 Harriet the Spry: Are either of these correct? The sources I have checked explain it means “confer” or “compare,” but that doesn’t really make the usage clear to me. In either case, the author (or editor or whoever) is telling you to compare the current statement, thought, concept, whatever, with one found in the cited source. The cited source may confirm, contradict, or merely add a different point of view to that being discussed. FWIW, my personal copy of 2001: A Space Odyssey is riddled with cf notations in the margins from when I once read it and 2010 back to back over the course of about 2 days and couldn’t help but notice places Clarke had echoed, contradicted, and/or simply repeated himself. Of course, that’s back when I thought I might teach those books in class one day and I didn’t want to forget. MsRobyn May 17, 2008, 1:52pm 3 It does come from “confer” and it does mean “compare.” Essentially, cf. is intended to point the reader in the direction of information that is intended to augment the writer’s argument or point. It’s just a fancy way of saying “see also”. Robin DSYoungEsq May 17, 2008, 7:48pm 4 MsRobyn: It does come from “confer” and it does mean “compare.” Essentially, cf. is intended to point the reader in the direction of information that is intended to augment the writer’s argument or point. It’s just a fancy way of saying “see also”. Robin Well, to be completely correct, it comes from Lt. confer (imperative of conferre), meaning: “compare.” Gfactor May 17, 2008, 9:21pm 5 According to The Blue Book, which deals with legal citations and doesn’t necessarily apply to academic writing outside of law reviews: Cited authority supports a proposition different from the main proposition but sufficiently analogous to lend support. Litereally, “cf.” means “compare.” The citation’s relevance will usually be clear to the reader only if it is explained. Parenthetical explanations, however brief, are therefore strongly recommended. In fact, if I were preparing a legal citation for this quote, I’d probably introduce it with Cf. Polycarp May 18, 2008, 12:06am 6 As everyone has noted, it stands for Latin confer, meaning “compare,” and is used to refer the reader to a source with a supportive but different perspective than what is annotated with the Cf. (For a disjunctive perspective, you sometimes see “But Cf. othersource.”) One point to note is that like etc. but unlike i.e., e.g., and op. cit., it’s an abbreviation of a single word, and so does not take the interior period shown in the OP. Cf. not c.f. DSYoungEsq May 18, 2008, 3:34am 7 Polycarp: One point to note is that like etc. but unlike i.e., e.g., and op. cit., it’s an abbreviation of a single word, and so does not take the interior period shown in the OP. Cf. not c.f. Nitpick to the otherwise correct, and well-noted minor point: etc. is an abbreviation of et cetera, two words. Harriet_the_Spry May 18, 2008, 6:16pm 8 I just knew this thread would attract the most detail-oriented of Dopers. Thanks, all! aldiboronti May 18, 2008, 6:55pm 9 cf. Wikipedia. (That was irresistible!) MilTan May 18, 2008, 8:41pm 10 aldiboronti: cf. Wikipedia. (That was irresistible!) But that’s not really the proper usage of cf.. That’s just a normal cite for the definition. Related topics Topic Replies Views Activity How do you pronounce cf. ? Factual Questions 21 3428 January 10, 2006 (sic)? Factual Questions 6 1125 January 9, 2001 Question about writing a scholarly paper Factual Questions 21 2318 December 24, 2010 A PSA: Sight != Site != Cite The BBQ Pit 34 1473 June 15, 2003 Web Cite? Since when. About This Message Board 5 1444 December 8, 2000 Tag » What Is Cf. In Writing Latin Terms And Abbreviations – The Writing Center • University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill Friends Don’t Let Friends Use “cf.” The Difference Between I.e.; E.g., And Cf. – Nicolas Robinson-Garcia Is It Acceptable To Use The Abbreviation Cf. In MLA Style? | MLA Style Center I Have Been Using “cf.” Wrongly For My Entire Life Writing - See/cf. Followed By E.g. / For Example - Academia Stack Exchange Abbreviations - Cf. Figure 8: Good Or Bad? - English Language Learners Stack Exchange Cf. Cf. APA Style 6th Edition Blog: It’s All Latin To Me: Latin Abbreviations In Scholarly Writing ‘Cf.’ Does Not Mean ‘see’ CF. English Definition And Meaning Please Cf. The Chicago Manual Of Style
