References - the last word.

While I am enjoying a brief respite from the reality of checking Lists of References, I shall outline the last stage of my method of presenting them as well as is practicable: ensuring that the entries are in the right order.

"Alphabetical" is, sadly, too obvious an answer! As always, there are subtleties and variations. The APA (American Psychological Association) system, for instance, has rules all of its own. Unless you have specific guidance, however, the following is a good guide:

1. Alphabetical order. Treat all names beginning with Mc, Mac and M' as though they start with Mac.
   
2. Publications by a single author are placed in date order, using a lower case suffix (2008a, 2008b and so on) to distinguish items published in the same year. 2008a should be the one that is referenced first in the text.
3. After these come publications by the same author in conjunction with one co-author, arranged alphabetically by the co-author's name and then by date.
4. Next are publications by the first authors with two or more colleagues, in alphabetical and then chronological order as above. These will of course appear in the text as Author et al., 2008.

So this translates as:

Marvin, P.A. (1978) They Are All Out to Get Me. Ursa Beta Minor: Megadodo.
Marvin, P.A. (2002) The Dummy's Guide to Paranoia. Ursa Beta Minor: Megadodo.
Marvin, P.A. and Beeblebrox, Z. (2008) Shades: the ultimate frontier. Alpha Centauri: Vogon Unlimited.
Marvin, P.A. and Slartibartfast, G. (2003) Award-winning Coastal Design: the significance of glaciation. Magrathea: CamTim Publications.
Marvin, P.A., Prefect, F. and Dent, A. (2005) 999 Uses for a Towel. New York: Vogon Books.

If you think the examples are not only eccentric but inexplicable you have cannot have read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and you are missing out!