When and how to cite references in a book.
April 4, 2013 10:15 PM Subscribe
I am attempting to write a book about my hobby. I am trying to make a complete bible - or at least as complete as I can be. There have been a few books on the subject before me, but none are very complete or very recent. What I'm not sure how to do is how to reference it. I have a lot of knowledge in my head that are from other sources - I read a lot of academic papers on the subject over the years, and in some cases I'm having a hard time parsing what is something I know through experience, what is "general knowledge" and what is something I picked up from another source.
I've been involved in the hobby for 15 years and I'm a voracious reader, so I read tons of papers, books, blogs, forums, news articles, etc . . . on the subject. Undoubtedly some things have just become assimilated knowledge
The book itself is supposed to be aimed at hobbyists, from beginner to advanced. However in the perfect world where everything goes right, I'd make it good enough for professionals and researchers to use. I've looked at how other books are written in this area, and they range from no references to a short list of references in the back, to very long list of references to even using foodnotes with the specific document cited.
I don't know which of these I should use AND, of these should I be trying to put together pieces of the puzzle of where I got certain pieces of information? For example, there are some things that almost have to have come from somewhere else because I know it's something I haven't directly experienced. But I'll be damned if I remember where.
I read these two threads, but I'm not sure they cover exactly what I need to know.
Then there is also the practical matter. My instinct would be to cite every section like wikipedia so every piece of information could be further researched BUT I'm afraid I'll spend all my time dilly-dallying on that and not finishing the book. I've already dawdled quit a bit and don't want to use this as another excuse to finish writing it.
I've been involved in the hobby for 15 years and I'm a voracious reader, so I read tons of papers, books, blogs, forums, news articles, etc . . . on the subject. Undoubtedly some things have just become assimilated knowledge
The book itself is supposed to be aimed at hobbyists, from beginner to advanced. However in the perfect world where everything goes right, I'd make it good enough for professionals and researchers to use. I've looked at how other books are written in this area, and they range from no references to a short list of references in the back, to very long list of references to even using foodnotes with the specific document cited.
I don't know which of these I should use AND, of these should I be trying to put together pieces of the puzzle of where I got certain pieces of information? For example, there are some things that almost have to have come from somewhere else because I know it's something I haven't directly experienced. But I'll be damned if I remember where.
I read these two threads, but I'm not sure they cover exactly what I need to know.
Then there is also the practical matter. My instinct would be to cite every section like wikipedia so every piece of information could be further researched BUT I'm afraid I'll spend all my time dilly-dallying on that and not finishing the book. I've already dawdled quit a bit and don't want to use this as another excuse to finish writing it.
I think in a book aimed at hobbyists, references serve two purposes. One is to give appropriate credit to previous authors, i.e. avoiding plagiarism, and the other is to give readers a way to double check something that seems dodgy to them, or to find more information on things you don't go into a lot of detail on.
If you aren't directly quoting someone else, and the information you are giving is not especially obscure (i.e. it is something that you could plausibly have found in multiple other sources) then I don't think you need to cite a source for the first reason.
Citing sources for the second reason is a courtesy to your readers, but kind of optional, so you definitely don't need footnotes for that, and could probably get away with a short list at the end of each chapter under a heading like "Find more information here".
I don't think it is really possible to write a book that is a great source for both hobbyists and researchers, so decide on your main target audience, and cite with them in mind. My tips above are more for a popular-style book. For an academic book you will have to be much more careful with your referencing.
posted by lollusc at 11:12 PM on April 4, 2013
If you aren't directly quoting someone else, and the information you are giving is not especially obscure (i.e. it is something that you could plausibly have found in multiple other sources) then I don't think you need to cite a source for the first reason.
Citing sources for the second reason is a courtesy to your readers, but kind of optional, so you definitely don't need footnotes for that, and could probably get away with a short list at the end of each chapter under a heading like "Find more information here".
I don't think it is really possible to write a book that is a great source for both hobbyists and researchers, so decide on your main target audience, and cite with them in mind. My tips above are more for a popular-style book. For an academic book you will have to be much more careful with your referencing.
posted by lollusc at 11:12 PM on April 4, 2013
Talk to potential publishers, find one that is interested, and write the book they want to pay you for. Go where the money is. You can always write another book or some papers or magazine articles or blogs later (or simultaneously) to make up for what you didn't get into this book.
To assuage your fear of being accused of plagiarism, write the book and make empty footnote entries for every point you suspect came from an earlier source. After you write it, go hunting for possible (if not the actual) earlier sources to fill in the blanks in your footnotes.
posted by pracowity at 11:58 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
To assuage your fear of being accused of plagiarism, write the book and make empty footnote entries for every point you suspect came from an earlier source. After you write it, go hunting for possible (if not the actual) earlier sources to fill in the blanks in your footnotes.
posted by pracowity at 11:58 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Actually, in my hobby there is a lot of cross over between hobby, professional and researchers. I probably should have mentioned that. So even if it isn't a definitive source from a scientific perspective, there are a lot of pros taking lessons from amateurs, and a number of researchers participate at hobbyists conventions. I've gone to a research convention as a hobbyist, so a crossover is possible. I suppose though, since it's geared towards hobbyists, I will try and publish it with that audience in mind.
I like the idea of leaving an empty footnote where their might be a source to cite and finding later.
I'm not ready to talk to publishers yeah5, in fact I'm not sure how I'm going to publish, I.E. self publish, print on demand, eBook on Amazon or traditional publishing. It may be a mistake not to know but, well, I don't.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 12:39 AM on April 5, 2013
I like the idea of leaving an empty footnote where their might be a source to cite and finding later.
I'm not ready to talk to publishers yeah5, in fact I'm not sure how I'm going to publish, I.E. self publish, print on demand, eBook on Amazon or traditional publishing. It may be a mistake not to know but, well, I don't.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 12:39 AM on April 5, 2013
Best answer: When and how to cite references in a book.
You have footnotes and general references. Use footnotes when you use a quotation or present something as settled opinion or where you think the citation adds some useful information. At the end of the book make a list of the general references you have read that influence your thinking. This serves the purpose of providing a reading list for others.
Academics will hate you for not giving specific reference to the obscure observation with which they demand to be credited, but the general reader will be satisfied.
posted by three blind mice at 1:03 AM on April 5, 2013 [3 favorites]
You have footnotes and general references. Use footnotes when you use a quotation or present something as settled opinion or where you think the citation adds some useful information. At the end of the book make a list of the general references you have read that influence your thinking. This serves the purpose of providing a reading list for others.
Academics will hate you for not giving specific reference to the obscure observation with which they demand to be credited, but the general reader will be satisfied.
posted by three blind mice at 1:03 AM on April 5, 2013 [3 favorites]
> Academics will hate you for not giving specific reference to the obscure observation with which they demand to be credited
That's kind of a shitty way to put it. How about: for academic purposes you would be required to footnote a lot of stuff very accurately, but you are not writing an academic book, so you don't need to go that far.
posted by languagehat at 9:11 AM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
That's kind of a shitty way to put it. How about: for academic purposes you would be required to footnote a lot of stuff very accurately, but you are not writing an academic book, so you don't need to go that far.
posted by languagehat at 9:11 AM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
Get zotero, which is a free, browser-based service that organizes and catalogs research materials and takes much of the pain out of creating a bibliography and footnotes
I used it to write my last two books and found it extremely helpful.
I used footnotes to attribute ideas and quotes, and to provide resources where readers could find more information. Many of the footnotes in my manuscript never made it to the printed version of the books, but they did allow me to keep track of my sources.
posted by quidividi at 5:18 AM on April 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
I used it to write my last two books and found it extremely helpful.
I used footnotes to attribute ideas and quotes, and to provide resources where readers could find more information. Many of the footnotes in my manuscript never made it to the printed version of the books, but they did allow me to keep track of my sources.
posted by quidividi at 5:18 AM on April 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
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Fix it in the second edition.
posted by spacewrench at 10:41 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]