If a list of references is to pass scrutiny, it has to be consistent. Most publishers, journals and universities in the UK use the Harvard system, but even within that there is a multitude of possible detailed variations.
The classic reference to a whole volume reads on the lines of:
Author, A.B. and Coauthor, C.D. (2008) Title of Book, plus its sub-title. Place of Publication: Publisher.
Apparently foolproof, but what about those variations? Do the authors' initials take full points? Is there a space between the initials? Is there a comma between the authors? Between the initials and the date? After the date? Does the subtitle have capital letters? ... and so on. Unless you are working to a publisher's style guide or a fairly prescriptive course handbook, this sort of fine detail is generally up to you to decide.
The key is to make all the various spaces, punctuation, italics and other details consistent, which sounds simple but is easier said than done. The decisions, of course, do not end with books. Journal articles, chapters in edited volumes, conference papers and Internet references are all expressed differently and all need to be consistent.
A useful method is to compile one perfect sample reference of each type of publication, print it out in large type and stick it to the wall, or keep it by the keyboard, as a reference template as you work your way through the rest of the list.
Reaching Zohar will come as a great relief (well, it always does to me!).
This was supposed to be the last of three stages in the Good Impressions guide to presenting the perfect List of References. But sorry, I was wrong! There still remains the question of the order in which the entries appear. Alphabetical of course but, as you may have guessed, there are some subtleties, which will have to wait until the next post.
25 September 2009
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