When citing non-standard publications, how can we ensure that the citations comply with academic standards?

Citing non-standard publications (e.g., reports, theses, preprints, data sets, personal communications, artworks, ephemera, social media) can be academically valid when performed with transparency, accuracy, and contextual justification. Ensuring they meet standards involves rigorous documentation practices. The primary requirements include establishing the source's relevance and credibility for the specific scholarly argument. Provide complete, consistent bibliographic details (author, title, specific version/identifier if applicable, year, publisher/institution/platform, precise access location/URL). Verifying copyright or permissions for significant excerpts is crucial, particularly for unpublished works or those in grey literature. Crucially, acknowledge any inherent limitations or potential instability of the source within the text. For implementation, archive unstable sources (like webpages) locally or via archiving services when possible. Always cite the original source location and retrieval date for online materials. Utilize persistent identifiers (DOIs, handles, URNs) whenever available instead of basic URLs. Clearly distinguish the nature of the source (e.g., "[Personal communication]", "[Data set]", "[Tweet]") to aid verification and contextual understanding. The core value lies in enabling source traceability, reproducibility of research, and responsible acknowledgement of all contributions.