How well do we all use References and Sources?

3 hours ago, paulsutton said:

I if I understand things correctly, a reference list is a list of sources that are cited in your document / paper etc., so in LaTeX each time you use \cite{key} it will add the details of that key from your .bib file.

However, I think there are also times when you may list what sources have been looked at even if you don't actually cite them.    Maybe this goes in an appendix,   as it can also help with further reading.

I think it also depends very much on what is being written and the requirements of the institution you are studying at or the journal you are writing for.

 

We’re discussing posts, i.e. things posted here, not papers. Papers have a lot more citations, but they are generally much longer and narrower in scope and in greater depth.

As to the quoted bit, I think the prior knowledge we assume is heavily dependent on the question being asked. If it’s  on an introductory topic, very little should be assumed. Advanced topics suggest more prior knowledge can be assumed. And the OP can always clarify.