bibtexwarnings
How can I write a BibTeX entry for a special issue of a journal? I've tried using @book, but then I get
Warning--can't use both volume and number fields in <entry>
I use natbib with abbrvnat, and I have the following fields for my entry:
Here's a solution using biblatex. Note that \mkfirstpage uses \mkpageprefix as a post-processor instead of these commands simply being nested; see section 4.6.4 of the biblatex manual for details.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{biblatex}
\DeclareFieldFormat{pages}{\mkfirstpage[{\mkpageprefix[bookpagination]}]{#1}}
\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents}{\jobname.bib}
@article{Bli74,
author = {Blinder, Alan S.},
year = {1974},
title = {The economics of brushing teeth},
journaltitle = {Journal of Political Economy},
volume = {82},
number = {4},
pages = {887--891},
}
\end{filecontents}
\addbibresource{\jobname.bib}
\nocite{*}
\begin{document}
\printbibliography
\end{document}
The inbook entry type is designed for referring to a chapter of a book with a single author or set of authors. This is why you receive the warning in your first example: you can't have both an author and an editor field in the inbook type since only one is assumed. In other words, each chapter of the book is by that editor or author.
If the chapters of the book have different authors then you should use the incollection entry type not the inbook type. This entry type allows for both an author and an editor, and also has separate fields for title and booktitle as you did in your second example.
Online bibtex entries are known to be very variable in their accuracy and adherence to proper bibtex requirements.
Best Answer
biblatexoffers the entry type@periodicalfor a "complete issue of a periodical, such as a special issue of a journal" (manual, section 2.1.1).