T3B@psuvm.BITNET (09/21/85)
I am taking over the editorship of a journal that currently uses the
"old style" Modern Language Association documentation system of referring
to sources in footnotes (or endnotes). But MLA is currently switching
over to a parenthetical (in body of article) and reference-list form of
documentation. Other journals in my field frequently use the parenthetical
system of the American Psychological Association. It appears I've
inherited a non-status-quo situation, and must choose a new documentation
system (one other alternative is to stay with footnotes but switch to
Chicago Manual of Style format, which is well supported). I need help
from computer-wise people about one consideration. I've been told by
a colleague who has prepared a report on it that I should switch to the
APA form used by the other journals in our association because, despite
its occasional clunkiness as a referencing system it would allow all
the journals to be stored in a common computer database. If I choose
another reference system (which many in my field would prefer--those
who do literary, classical, historical, and legal research), then my
journal must, he says, be stored in a different database, run by a
different program, thus requiring two searches, thus dividing the field.
Can anyone give me advice on how likely this is; if likely, how
permanent (that is, will advances in hardware or software solve the
problem)? I don't especially mind the switch to APA (American Psychological
Association) style, but I'd like to feel that I truly understand my
constraints. Thanks for any help.
-- Tom Benson
Penn State University
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