Citation Standards

Rules for consistent source attribution in all docs/research/ documents. Apply these rules whenever writing research findings, documenting decisions, or referencing external sources.

Required: Sources Section

Every research document MUST end with a ## Sources section listing all referenced URLs:

## Sources

- [Vercel Agent Skills docs](https://vercel.com/docs/agent-resources/skills)
- [GitHub vercel-labs/skills](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills)
- [anthropics/skills](https://github.com/anthropics/skills)

Inline Citations

When referencing a source in body text, use Markdown link syntax:

According to the [Vercel KB guide](https://vercel.com/kb/guide/agent-skills),
the `name` field must match the directory name.

Never use bare URLs: https://example.com/doc — always wrap in [Title](URL).

Excerpts

When quoting from a source, use a blockquote and cite inline:

> "Skills give agents secure, structured ways to take action across your stack"
> — [Vercel Agent Skills docs](https://vercel.com/docs/agent-resources/skills)

Time-Sensitive Content

Add access date when content may become outdated:

- [Bitcoin price](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/) — accessed 2026-02-21

Research Document Template

## Sources

- [Source Title](URL)
- [Source Title](URL) — accessed YYYY-MM-DD (for time-sensitive data)

Key Rules

1. Every URL must have a descriptive title
2. ## Sources section is mandatory in every research doc
3. No bare URLs in body text
4. Blockquotes for direct excerpts with inline citation
5. Access dates for time-sensitive sources (prices, stats, current events)
6. List sources in order of relevance (most important first)