2.3.1. Listing books and other nonperiodical print publications

Books, brochures, reports, and so on are non‐periodical print publications familiar to most anyone, even though their necessity for research writing has diminished somewhat since the increase of accessible online publication channels. For the purposes of citation, you will need to pay extra attention to publication details easily overlooked when not used for documentation.

What information to record:

As you read through sources, be sure to record the important information you will need for citation. Besides the specific pages containing material you reference, record these key details, which are usually found on the title page or copyright page for the source:

• The authors of the source, including first and middle initials listed on the title page.
• The latest copyright and original printing date, or other indication of the printing date(usually on the copyright page, which appears on the reverse side of the inside title page).
• Any indications of special edition or version (usually a number, but sometimes a name).
• Special contributors listed on the title page, such as illustrators, editors, or translators.
• The names of chapter or article contributors (authors, translators, etc.) listed in the bylines of specific book chapters or articles you reference in the body of the papers. (This is common for anthologies and other edited collections.)
• The place of publication. (When multiple locations are listed, record the first city.)
• The publisher or, if not available, the printer or printing organization.

As you record the key details listed above, ask these questions to make sure you are recording all the relevant information and formatting the citation correctly:

Is the author of the source an organization or corporation?

If so, list the name of the organization fully spelled at the beginning of the entry, in place of a personal author name. If the organization is also the publisher, after the place of publication, simply put the word Author.

Is a special contributor given equal listing with the author?

If your source gives significant credit to a special kind of contributor, for instance, an illustrator, list the contributor’s name alongside the author (ordering them as they appear on the title page), putting his or her special contribution in parentheses: for instance, Smith, J. (Illustrator).

Is the book you are using a revised or special version?

List the edition number or version title in parentheses immediately after the title, before the period that follows the title. Do not italicize this information. Note that other information (e.g., the volume) may also appear in the parentheses. Use commas to separate multiple extra details appearing in parentheses after the book’s title.

Are you primarily referencing a specific chapter, rather than the whole book?

For the author(s) of the entry, list the chapter’s writer(s), who may be different from those credited for the book itself. The main title for the listing should match the chapter’s title (no italics). The book’s title appears next in the listing, preceded by In and the names of those credited for the whole book. When those credited for the book are editors, put Eds. or Ed. in parentheses after their names. Finally, in parentheses after the book’s title, list the pages for chapter, preceded by pp.

Is the book or chapter cited a translation?

List the name(s) of the translator(s) in parentheses (no italics) after the title of the translated source, followed by the abbreviation Trans..