"Ibid." is a Latin term meaning "in the same place." It is commonly used in academic writing and citations to refer to a source that has been cited immediately before. This helps to avoid repetition and keeps the text concise, allowing readers to easily follow the references without cluttering the page with repeated information. When a writer uses "Ibid.," it typically appears in footnotes or endnotes. For example, if a book by John Smith is cited multiple times in succession, the second and subsequent citations can simply use "Ibid." to indicate that the information comes from the same source, streamlining the citation process.