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BibTeX

When to Enclose .bib File Entry Fields: quotation marks vs. braces

Do you ever wonder when to enclose your .bib file entry fields with quotes and when to enclose them with braces? Do they even matter? The answer is: it doesn’t matter. Some people prefer to use "" simply for aesthetical reasons, and others prefer to use {}, arguing that it’s preferable if you need to use a " character within a field. Note, that these are the only acceptable ways to enclose fields.

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Examples

Enclosing fields with {}

@misc{CiteDrive2022,
  title        = {CiteDrive brings reference management to Overleaf},
  author       = {CiteDrive, Inc},
  year         = 2022,
  note         = {\url{https://www.citedrive.com/overleaf} [Accessed: (Use the date of access)]}
}

Enclosing fields with ""

@misc{CiteDrive2022,
  title        = "CiteDrive brings reference management to Overleaf",
  author       = "CiteDrive, Inc",
  ...
}

There is no right or wrong answer, as long as the information within the field is enclosed correctly. So why not experiment and see which method works best for you?