Help:Citation merging
Usage
Sometimes the article is more readable if multiple citations are bundled into a single footnote. For example, when there are multiple sources for a given sentence, and each source applies to the entire sentence, the sources can be placed at the end of the sentence, like this.[4][5][6][7] Or they can be bundled into one footnote at the end of the sentence or paragraph, like this.[4]
Bundling is also useful if the sources each support a different portion of the preceding text, or if the sources all support the same text. Bundling has several advantages:
- It helps readers and other editors see at a glance which source supports which point, maintaining text–source integrity;
- It avoids the visual clutter of multiple clickable footnotes inside a sentence or paragraph;
- It avoids the confusion of having multiple sources listed separately after sentences, with no indication of which source to check for each part of the text, such as this.[1][2][3][4]
- It makes it less likely that inline citations will be moved inadvertently when text is re-arranged, because the footnote states clearly which source supports which point.
When formatting multiple citations in a footnote, there are several layouts available, as illustrated below. Within a given article, only a single layout should be used.
Syntax
There are 3 main layouts for merging/bundling multiple citations:
- Bullet format
(Note: after the first citation, each bullet citation must be written on a new line.)
| Markup | Renders as |
|---|---|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.<ref>For the sun's size, see Miller, Edward. ''The Sun''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1.
* For the moon's size, see Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon," ''Scientific American'', 51(78):46.
* For the sun's heat, see Smith, John. ''The Sun's Heat''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.
</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.[1]
|
- Line breaks format
| Markup | Renders as |
|---|---|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.<ref>For the sun's size, see Miller, Edward. ''The Sun''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1.<br>For the moon's size, see Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon," ''Scientific American'', 51(78):46.<br>For the sun's heat, see Smith, John. ''The Sun's Heat''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.
</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.[1]
|
- Paragraph format
| Markup | Renders as |
|---|---|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.<ref>For the sun's size, see Miller, Edward. ''The Sun''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1. For the moon's size, see Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon," ''Scientific American'', 51(78):46. For the sun's heat, see Smith, John. ''The Sun's Heat''. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
|
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.[1]
|