Patent ID: 7844899

Claim:
A method of processing citations, comprising: determining available rule sets for multiple citation systems; receiving an input citation, and storing the input citation in a computer memory; determining a validating citation rule from among the rule sets that validates a given citation component within the input citation, with respect to a first citation system among the multiple citation systems, to obtain a validated citation component, where the validating citation rule comprises either or both of: a validating function attribute that specifies a validating function operable to check whether the given citation component validates; and a generating function attribute that specifies a generating function operable to generate, using the given citation component, the validated citation component storing the validated citation component in the computer memory; determining a selected citation system, different from the first citation system, from among the multiple citation systems; accessing with the processor coupled to the computer memory, an applicable rule set chosen for the selected citation system from the available rule sets; applying, with the processor, an applicable citation rule the applicable rule set to the validated citation component to determine an output citation component adhering to the selected citation system.