[Tex/LaTex] Citing e-books using LaTeX

bibtexcitingebook

What would be the best way to cite electronic books (e-books) with BibTeX?

I am currently using the biblatex-chicago package to produce footnote references.

I would like to know what entry type and fields should be used.

Best Answer

Since you’re using the biblatex-chicago package, I’m guessing that you’re using the Chicago Manual of Style. This online copy of the guide has the following to say on ebooks:

If a book is available in more than one format, cite the version you consulted. For books consulted online, list a URL; include an access date only if one is required by your publisher or discipline. If no fixed page numbers are available, you can include a section title or a chapter or other number.

Your entry type should probably be book, and with fields to match those listed above. There are several examples in the style guide, so you could model your BibLaTeX after one of those. (I’m not familiar with the biblatex-chicago package, so I won’t attempt to reproduce an example in LaTeX.)

If you’re not using the Chicago Manual, then a lot of other major style guides have explanations of how to cite ebooks. For example, here’s the MLA and the APA on the subject. In general, you should consult your style guide for ebook citations.

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[Tex/LaTex] How to cite OMG specifications

If it neither has an ISBN nor appears in a series with an ISSN, then it falls within the scope of what Chicago calls "informally published materials", which are, overall, not so well handled by Bibtex.

The downside of using the @misc entry type is that institution isn't a recognised field key for that entry type in the default Bibtex styles, so you have to use the howpublished kludge. I would go for @techreport, which does have the required documentation. You should be prepared to change the representation to get the output you want though.

I note that Jabref has a custom @standard entry type for the internal representation of these kinds of entry, which it translates as appropriate to the bibliography style you want to use in a particular article.

[Tex/LaTex] BibTeX, citing a podcast

(Originally posted as a comment by Ben VB.)

@music{olsen,
  author={Corey Olsen},
  title={Ainulind\"ale},
  booktitle={Silmarillion Seminar},
  month=dec,
  year=2010,
  date={December 8, 2010},
  series={Podcast audio},
  url={http://www.tolkienprofessor.com/audio/silmarillion_1.mp3}
}

gets me almost there, although the letter "p" in "podcast audio" should be lowercase in note and uppercase in bibliography; this does uppercase in both.

Best Answer

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[Tex/LaTex] How to cite OMG specifications

[Tex/LaTex] BibTeX, citing a podcast

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