College student cites his own professor's lackluster argument as a source for his thesis, professor has no choice but to accept the citation: '[It's] technically valid but in poor taste'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Apr 23, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Challenging a professor is not necessarily a good idea, but when it works, it's a glorious feeling.

If you've ever found yourself in the crosshairs of a so-called "beloved" university professor as a student, you've probably felt the internalized need to extend a certain level of respect for the social hierarchy of old-school academia. However, outside of a general level of empathy and understanding that all people should show one another, the "bow down to your professor" mentality can often lead to outdated dynamics even in the most forward-thinking of educational environments.

We cannot forget the fact that academia is an ever-evolving organism, regardless of the discipline, meaning that as new generations come of age, they will inevitably take up space in the conversation. Some professors welcome this new perspective and energy, while others refuse to accept these more modern voices.

We have no doubt seen this generational clash manifest itself in countless workplace environments, but in the lecture hall, the way in which these dynamics unfold can be just as crucial and reflective of our cultural divides. This professor, for instance, had a habit of contradicting himself in his own lectures despite insisting that anything he said was factually correct due to his advanced degree. When a student took that to mean he could cite these factually questionable comments in a thesis, the professor's stubborn nature was put to the test.

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  • A college student raises his hand during a classroom lecture.
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    A college student raises his hand during a classroom lecture.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My professor said any source is valid as long as I cite it properly. so I cited him.

    this was junior year, research methods class. our professor, I'll call him Dr. K, had this thing where he would make bold claims during lectures without citing anything and then get annoyed if students pushed back on it.
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  • classic "I have a PhD so my word is the source" energy. at some point he made a sweeping statement about consumer behavior that directly contradicted something I had
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  • read in two separate peer reviewed papers, I raised my hand and mentioned this, and he said, and I quote, "in this class, any source is valid as long as you cite it correctly. the quality of your argument is what matters."
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  • okay. I wrote my next paper arguing the opposite of his claim. my primary source for the counter-argument was a transcript I had made of his own lecture from three weeks earlier where he had said something that, read carefully,
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  • actually undermined his newer position. I cited it as: [Last name, First initial. Class lecture, Course number, University name, Date.] formatted exactly according to the citation guide he gave us on day one.
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  • he handed back papers with written comments. mine said "interesting argument, strong structure" and then at the bottom: "this citation is not acceptable, please see me."
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  • A professor answers a student's question during a classroom lecture.
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    A professor answers a student's question during a classroom lecture.

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  • It just goes to show how many of these tenured professors refuse to adapt to new lines of thought or cannot stand being challenged at all. How can you expect your students to be challenged if you yourself refuse to take what you're giving? When the professor spotted the student's citation and immediately took issue with it, the student was prepared to pull up receipts and prove his professor wrong. You can imagine that this was not received warmly either.

  • I went to see him. I brought the citation guide. I showed him the format. I showed him his own quote. I asked which part of the citation requirements I had failed to meet. there was a long pause.
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  • he changed my grade from a B+ to an A- and told me the citation was "technically valid but in poor taste." I have never felt more seen by a grade in my life.
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  • A student faces off with his professor in front of the class in a lecture hall.
    via Unsplash+ (Yunus Tuğ)

    A student faces off with his professor in front of the class in a lecture hall.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • SmolHumanBean8 ⚫ The fact he upped your grade after being proved wrong, Imaoooooo
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  • dylan_price11 OP. right, i think that was him trying to save face without fully admitting it. the A- still stings a little but "technically valid but in poor taste" is honestly a compliment i think about sometimes
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  • Logophage_ · Librarian here. Not sure what citation guidelines you were given, but most style manuals absolutely have formats for citing a lecture.
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  • These days, there are formats for everything up to and including a TikTok. On a side note, the fact that you can build a citation is irrelevant to the ACTUAL worth of any given source- but that's not what your professor told you, is it?
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  • Flying Rhenquest ⚫ But "Technically valid" is the best kind of valid!
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  • Briianz It's in poor taste because he had to eat his own words!
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