# Citations - Meaning of c.f. (academic writing style) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652 "2008-05-17T13:31:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/1 "2008-05-17T13:31:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/2 "2008-05-17T13:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=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. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/3 "2008-05-17T13:52:30Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/4 "2008-05-17T19:48:21Z")
[QUOTE=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 [/QUOTE] Well, to be completely correct, it comes from Lt. _confer_ (imperative of _conferre_), meaning: “compare.” ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/5 "2008-05-17T21:21:16Z")
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._ ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/6 "2008-05-18T00:06:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/7 "2008-05-18T03:34:51Z")
[QUOTE=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. [/QUOTE] Nitpick to the otherwise correct, and well-noted minor point: etc. is an abbreviation of _et cetera_, two words. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/8 "2008-05-18T18:16:42Z")
I just knew this thread would attract the most detail-oriented of Dopers. Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/9 "2008-05-18T18:55:54Z")
_cf._ [Wikipedia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cf.) (That was irresistible!) ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citations-meaning-of-c-f-academic-writing-style/449652/10 "2008-05-18T20:41:02Z")
[QUOTE=aldiboronti] _cf._ [Wikipedia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cf.) (That was irresistible!) [/QUOTE] But that’s not really the proper usage of _cf._. That’s just a normal cite for the definition.