Page 71 - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 8th Edition 8th Edition

Page 51
because of the substantial renumbering chore that results from addition or deletion of references. It is not ideal for the
reader, because the nonalphabetical presentation of the reference list may result in separation of various references to
works by the same author.

In the First Edition of this book, I stated that the alphabet-number system "seems to be slowly gaining ascendancy."
Soon thereafter, however, the first version of the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical
Journals" (the "Vancouver" system) appeared, sponsoring the citation order system for the cooperating journals. The
"Uniform Requirements" (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, 1993) have been adopted by several
hundred biomedical journals. Thus, it is not now clear which citation system, if any, will gain "ascendancy." The
"Uniform Requirements" document is impressive in so many ways that it has had and is having a powerful impact. It
is in substantial agreement with a standard prepared by the American National Standards Institute (1977). In this one
area of literature citation, however, other usage remains strong. For example, the Council of Biology Editors decided
to use the name and year system

Page 55
in the 6th edition of Scientific Style and Format (Style Manual Committee, Council of Biology Editors, 1994). In the
text, Scientific Style and Format endorsed both "name and year" and "citation order." It also showed how the
''Uniform Requirements" system of simplified punctuation could be used in "name and year" as well as "citation
order." In addition, the 14th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (1993), the bible of most of the scholarly
publishing community, appeared with its usual ringing endorsement of alphabetically arranged references. In its more
than 100 pages of detailed instructions for handling references, it several times makes such comments as (page 522):
"The most practical and useful way to arrange entries in a bibliography is in alphabetical order, by author."

Titles and Inclusive Pages

Should article titles be given in references? Normally, you will have to follow the style of the journal; if the journal
allows a choice (and some do), I recommend that you give complete references. By denoting the overall subjects, the
article titles make it easy for interested readers (and librarians) to decide whether they need to consult none, some, or
all of the cited references.

The use of inclusive pagination (first and last page numbers) makes it easy for potential users to distinguish between
1-page notes and 50-page review articles. Obviously, the cost, to you or your library, of obtaining the references,
particularly if acquired as photocopies, can vary considerably depending on the number of pages involved.

Journal Abbreviations

Although journal styles vary widely, one aspect of reference citation has been standardized in recent years, i.e.,
journal abbreviations. As the result of widespread adoption of a standard (American National Standards Institute,
1969), almost all of the major primary journals and secondary services now use the same system of abbreviation.
Previously, most journals abbreviated journal names (significant printing expense can be avoided by abbreviation), but
there was no uniformity. The Journal of the American Chemical Society was variously abbreviated to "J. Amer. Chem.
Soc.," "Jour. Am. Chem. Soc.," "J.A.C.S.," etc.

Page 56
These differing systems posed problems for authors and publishers alike. Now there is essentially only one system,
and it is uniform. The word "Journal" is now always abbreviated "J." (Some journals omit the periods after the
abbreviations.) By noting a few of the rules, authors can abbreviate many journal titles, even unfamiliar ones, without

file:///C|/...208%20Books%20(part%201%20of%203)/How%20to%20write%20&%20publish%20scientific%20paper/12.htm[4/27/2009 12:48:26 PM]