Tip #2: 'Sight', 'Site', or 'Cite'?

The Author AID "Sentence of the Week" for this week was:

          When writing a journal article, be sure to site references correctly.

Reader's were asked to find at least 1 definite error in that sentence.

That got me thinking about publishing a post on the use of the three words, 'sight', 'site', and 'cite'. They all sound very similar but have totally different usages.


The correct word for the above example is 'cite', which means 'to mention' or 'to quote'. The correct sentence is:

         When writing a journal article, be sure to cite references correctly. 


'Site', on the other hand, means 'a place or location'. A 'website' is a location on the 'web' or the Internet.

The word 'sight' is used in relation to vision or seeing.

Here's an example:

         What a beautiful sight! This is a good site for a family picnic. I remember it being cited on a hiker's website. 

I hope you were able to detect at least 1 definite error in a sentence in this blog. If you did, I would love to hear from you.

About a Forthcoming Medical Writing Workshop

I was going through the Scientific Agenda for a medical writing workshop I am attending. Thought you might be interested to hear about it.

This workshop is part of the 28th ICON Meeting conducted by the Indian Cooperative Oncology Network (ICON). The workshop in on Friay, the 5th of April, 2013 at Mumbai. There are several sessions on:

• How to Write an Original Article
• Intricacies of Publishing
• PubMed Tutorial
• Workshop on Reference Management

Click on the link below to read the full agenda.

Scientific Agenda of the Medical Writing Workshop at the 28th ICON Meeting