Citation Generators, OWL, and the Persistence of Error-Ridden References: An Assessment for Learning Approach to Citation Errors

Despite the pervasive use of citation generators and other online citation resources like Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL), undergraduate students' bibliographies are still often riddled with errors. This article explores the possibility that these errors are the product of more than just carelessness. After reviewing the literature on students' citation practices and instructional approaches to citation errors, the paper examines the underlying assumptions governing the instructor's unsuccessful error correction practices in a credit-bearing information literacy course. Next, an assessment for learning in-class activity is described that helped uncover some of the obstacles students face that prevent them from using resources like OWL effectively when constructing or correcting their citations. The article ends with an assessment of the activity and students' citations in their final research project.