The word ‘sic’ is often used in academic writing and it is a Latin word from the phrase ‘sic eras scriptum’, meaning ‘thus it was written’. Its main function is to let the reader know that any nonstandard spelling in quotes you’ve used are not your mistakes.
When Not To Use ‘Sic’
One of the most important things to learn is to refrain from overusing the word ‘sic’. It should never be used as a tool to ridicule the person you are quoting from, as it is often used in journalism. In academia, one of the most sacred principles is to respect other authors’ viewpoints. No-one will respect you for trying to make someone else look stupid. So, only use it when you’ve really got to! If you are unsure if you’ve overused it, why not get someone to look over your work before you submit it.
When To Use ‘Sic’
If you are quoting a passage of text and you notice an error or a nonstandard use of English, you can just correct it in brackets:
[There] was nothing to be done.
However, if you need to quote the text exactly, you can add [sic] after the word in question. This is often the case for archaic or nonstandard spellings:
A recype [sic] for plum wine
How to Use ‘Sic’
Although ‘sic’ is a Latin term, it does not always need to be italicized. You should check this in your college guidelines. However, as it is a word, not an abbreviation, it does not require a full stop after it. You should always put ‘sic’ in square brackets, directly after the word you wish to highlight:
Kristoffer’s [sic] main reason for disagreeing is….
One thing to remember is that, even if the word itself needs to be italicized, the square brackets never are.
Good luck!