Re: citing electronic documents

Richard Reichart (reichart@PLUTO.NJCC.COM)
Sat, 16 Mar 1996 22:00:15 -0500

In response to the subject inquiry from John Langdon, I have the
following, which was circulated on quite another list to which I
subscribe.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

**************************************************
* A BRIEF CITATION GUIDE FOR *
* INTERNET SOURCES IN HISTORY AND THE HUMANITIES *
**************************************************
by
Melvin E. Page
<pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu>

for
H-AFRICA <h-africa@msu.edu>
Humanities-on-Line
and
History Department
East Tennessee State University


The following suggestions for citations of Internet sources in
history and the historically based humanities are derived from the
essential principles of academic citation in Kate L. Turabian,
*A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
*5th ed. (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1987). I have also
draw upon suggestions from some of the works listed below. The
guide has been improved by the the students of my Historical
Methods classes at East Tennessee State University and my fellow
H-AFRICA editors whom I thank for their assistance.

Since the Internet is an evolving institution, this guide is not
intended to be definitive. Corrections, additions, comments,
suggestions, and criticisms are therefore welcome. Please address
them to the author at:

pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu

When the need for revisions and updates become apparent, new versions
of the guide will be issued.



=======================
Bibliographic Citations
=======================


Basic citation components and punctuation
*****************************************

Author's Last Name, First Name. [author's internet address, if
available]. "Title of Work" or "title line of message." In
"Title of Complete Work" or title of list/site as appropriate.
[internet address]. Date, if available.

The samples below indicate how citations of particular electronic
sources might be made.


Listserv Messages
*****************

Walsh, Gretchen. [gwalsh@acs.bu.edu]. "REPLY: Using African
newspapers in teaching." In H-AFRICA. [h-africa@msu.edu].
18 October 1995.


World Wide Web
**************

Limb, Peter. "Relationships between Labour & African Nationalist/
Liberation Movements in Southern Africa." [http://neal.ctstateu.
edu/history/world_history/archives/limb-l.html]. May 1992.


FTP Site
********

Heinrich, Gregor. [100303.100@compuserve.com]. "Where There Is
Beauty, There is Hope: Sau Tome e Principe." [ftp.cs.ubc.ca/
pub/local/FAQ/african/gen/saoep.txt]. July 1994.


Gopher Site
***********

"Democratic Party Platform, 1860." [wiretap.spies.com Wiretap Online
Library/civic & Historical/Political Platforms of the U.S.]
18 June 1860.

Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Barbara. "Making Difference." [gopher.uic.edu
The Researcher/History/H-Net/H-Amstdy (American Studies)/Essays &
Discussions About American Studies]. 20 July 1995.


Usenet Group Messages
*********************

Dell, Thomas. [dell@wiretap.spies.com]. "[EDTECH] EMG: Sacred Texts
(Networked Electronic Versions)." In [alt.etext]. 4 February
1993.

Legg, Sonya. [legg@harquebus.cgd.ucar.edu]. "African history book
list." In [soc.culture.african]. 5 September 1994.


E-mail Messages
***************

Page, Mel. [pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu]. "African dance...and
Malawi." Private e-mail message to Masankho Banda, [mbanda@igc.
apc.org]. 28 November 1994.



==============================
Footnote and Endnote Citations
==============================


Basic citation components and punctuation
*****************************************

<note number> Author's First name and Last name, [author's
internet address, if available], "Title of Work" or "title line
of message," in "Title of Complete Work" or title of list/site as
appropriate, [internet address], date if available.

The examples below indicate how citations of particular electronic
sources might be made.


Listserv Messages
*****************

<1> Gretchen Walsh, [gwalsh@acs.bu.edu], "REPLY: Using African
newspapers in teaching," in H-AFRICA, [h-africa@msu.edu], 18 October
1995.


World Wide Web
**************

<2> Peter Limb, "Relationships between Labour & African
Nationalist/Liberation Movements in Southern Africa," [http://neal.
ctstateu.edu/history/world_history/archives/limb-l.html], May 1992.


FTP Site
********

<3> Gregor Heinrich, [100303.100@compuserve.com], "Where There Is
Beauty, There is Hope: Sao Tome e Principe," [ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/
local/FAQ/african/gen/saoep.txt], July 1994.

<4> Sonya Legg, [legg@harquebus.cgd.ucar.edu], "African history
book list," in [soc.culture.african], 5 September 1994.


Gopher Site
***********

<5> "Democratic Party Platform, 1860," [wiretap.spies.com
Wiretap Online Library/civic & Historical/Political Platforms of the
U.S.], 18 June 1860.

<6> Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, "Making Difference,"
[gopher.uic.edu The Researcher/History/H-Net/H-Amstdy (American
Studies)/Essays & Discussions About American Studies], 20 July 1995.


Usenet Group Messages
*********************

<7>Thomas Dell, [dell@wiretap.spies.com] "[EDTECH] EMG: Sacred
Texts (Networked Electronic Versions)," in [alt.etext], 4 February
1993.


E-Mail Messages
***************

<8> Mel Page, [pagem@etsuarts.east-tenn-st.edu], "African
dance...and Malawi," private e-mail message to Masankho Banda,
[mbanda@igc.apc.org], 28 November 1994.



================================================
Additional Source Material on Internet Citations
================================================

Dodd, Sue A. "Bibliographic References for Computer Files in the
Social Sciences: A Discussion Paper." [gopher://info.monash.
edu.au:70/00/handy/cites]. Revised May 1990. {Published in
*IASSIST Quarterly*, 14, 2(1990): 14-17.}

Li, Xia and Nancy Crane. *Electronic Style: A Guide to Citing
Electronic Information*. Westport: Meckler, 1993.

University of Chicago Press *Chicago Guide to Preparing Electronic
Manuscripts: for Authors and Publishers*. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1987.

Walker, Janice R. "MLA-Style Citations of Internet Sources."
[http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walker/janice.html].
April 1995.


*********************************************************************
version 1.1 30 October 1995
*********************************************************************
Copyright Melvin E. Page, 1995.
This document may be reproduced and redistributed, but only in its
entirety and with full acknowledgement of its source and authorship.
*********************************************************************