Citation signal

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In law, a citation or introductory signal is a set of phrases or words used to clarify the authority (or significance) of a legal citation as it relates to a proposition. It is used in citations to present authorities and indicate how those authorities relate to propositions in statements. Legal writers use citation signals to tell readers how the citations support (or do not support) their propositions, organizing citations in a hierarchy of importance so the reader can quickly determine the relative weight of a citation. Citation signals help a reader to discern meaning or usefulness of a reference when the reference itself provides inadequate information.

Citation signals have different meanings in different U.S. citation-style systems. The two most prominent citation manuals are The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation^[1] and the ALWD Citation Manual.^[2] Some state-specific style manuals also provide guidance on legal citation. The Bluebook citation system is the most comprehensive and the most widely used system by courts, law firms and law reviews.^{[citation needed]}