To ensure compliant research practices, what is critical for any scholarly writer?

Demonstrating competence in citations is essential for any scholarly writer because it ensures proper attribution of ideas, data, and findings to their original sources. Accurate citations not only acknowledge the work of others, which is fundamental to ethical research practices, but they also lend credibility to the writer's own work by positioning it within the existing body of knowledge. This competency helps to avoid issues of plagiarism, which can have serious academic repercussions.

In addition, effective citation practices enable readers to locate the referenced sources for further investigation, supporting transparency and reproducibility in research. By adhering to established citation guidelines, scholarly writers enhance the professionalism of their writing and contribute to the integrity of academic discourse.

While using exclusively non-fiction sources might seem important, it doesn't address the ethical and practical need for proper citation directly. Similarly, limiting sources to only online databases or favoring qualitative data does not inherently ensure the compliance and credibility that comes from properly citing all utilized materials, regardless of source format or data type.