In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:
Does does anyone (particularly those who often read job market writing samples or regularly serve as a reviewer) have any advice as to when on when one can or should use "Cf." according to our disciplinary norms? I am aware that there is a bit of semantic drift going on and that people often use it beyond its official use of meaning something like "compare". One often finds it used as more or less synonymous with "see" in all sorts of published venues, particularly in empirical-adjacent philosophy journals. However, I am wondering whether some sticklers look down on this usage and whether it would thus be wise to avoid it even though I enjoy using it in the latter way.
I guess I'd be surprised if more than a few people are going to be concerned with this sort of thing, particularly given how rarely "Cf." appears to be used (at least in my experience). That said, when I use it, I use it according to its official meaning ("compare").
Any other readers have any tips?
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