IDRC Style Guide

Introduction to IDRC

IDRC refers to International Development Research Centre: Style Guide 26 January 1996 as was outlined in http://www.idrc.ca/books/edit/eindex.html#sguide

Overview

For a more detailed explanation see the IDRC Style Guide

IDRC minimises the use of footnotes. Footnotes are only used for explanatory notes or personal commentary of the author that does not belong in the main text. If the material is important, it belongs in the main text. If the material is trivial information, it should be removed. Do not use footnotes for referencing, use within the text. 

General Purpose of the IDRC Style Guide

Often used for research in the humanities, especially human equality and opportunity. Unbiased, gender-neutral, non-racist, actively aware of the handicapped, of religious, racism, sexism, development, ageism and the hang-over from colonialism in the language. (See the Chapter on "language Bias" in the IDRC Style Manual.)

Competitors

Footnotes

Footnotes to the text are numbered consecutively throughout the essay with superscript Arabic numerals. Numbers for footnotes should be outside any adjacent punctuation

Example
This footnote number is correctly positioned.

The footnote appears at the bottom of the text column in which it is mentioned. If the column is short because it is the end of a chapter, or there is a table or figure to complete it, the footnote still follows immediately after the text.

Generally, the footnote is separated from the text with a short rule.

Notes to tables

Footnotes to tables are denoted by superscript, Roman lower-case letters. Source and notes for tables appear with the footnotes. Position table footnotes directly below the table.

Underlining

Underlining is not used in IDRC publications. For emphasis, boldfaced type is preferred. In most other instances of underlining (such as book titles or scientific names), italic type should be used. 

Italics

Minimize the use of italic in the text.

Use italics for

  • titles of books, periodicals, newspapers, or films mentioned in the text (do not use italics for this purpose in the reference list).
  • foreign words and phrases (but not proper names or commonly used words of foreign origin)
    Examples
    Barrio, chickwangue, fufu, but Chanukah, bona fide, et al., in vitro, a priori, i.e.
  • Scientific names of a genus, species, or subspecies (not names of higher taxa). Varieties are italicized but cultivars (artificial varieties) are not.
    Example
    Leucaena leucocephala is a species of the family Mimosideae and subfamily Leguminosae.
  • statistical abbreviations
  • variables in mathematic expressions

Do not use italics

  • Names of television shows, song titles, titles of articles, poems, or chapters of a book mentioned in the text are set off by quotation marks.
  • Cultivars in botanical names are set off by single quotes or preceded by "cv.". True varieties are italicized.
  • Mathematical abbreviations such as log (logarithm), max (maximum), exp (exponential function), tan (tangent), cos (cosine), cosh (hyperbolic cosine), lim (limit), arg (argument), cov (covariance), diag (diagonal), and var (variance) are set in Roman.
    Examples
    sin x (not sin x), log x.

Numbers

There is a large number of specific rules, too numerous to mention in this summary and explained clearly in the IDRC Style Manual.

Citing

Citing author, date and page numbers in the flow of the text

A. General reference 

Carrington argued this (1979).

This was argued throughout the year of averages (Carrington 1979).

B. Specific reference

According to Carrington (1979), this was argued throughout the year of averages.

According to Carrington (1979, p. 17), this was argued throughout the year of averages.

Citing author, date and page numbers in direct quotes

"The dealers in Wall Street argued this throughout the year of averages" Carrington 1979, p. 17).

Citing a range of pages

(Carrington 1979, pp. 17-19)

Citing volume and page numbers

(Carrington 1979, vol. 1, p. 17)

Citing a work with two authors

(Gramsci and Marrington 1999)

Citing a work with three authors

(Poobar, Lyttle, and Dunkim 1999) 

Citing a work with more than three authors

(Drinkham et al. 1971)

Citing an author who has written multiple works in the year

(Carrington 1979a) (Carrington 1979b) ... (Carrington 1979z)

Note: Include the letter in the bibliography as well.

Citing authors with the same surname

Given names are reduced to initials unless there are two authors with the same family name and initials in which case the full names must be used to distinguish them.

(Carrington, D. 1979) (Carrington, D.E. 1979)

Citing books without authors
Use the title as if it were the name of the author
(A history of smells. 1994)

Citing articles without authors
Use the reference as if it were the name of the author
(The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 July. 2001, p. 12)

Citing books without authors but published by an organization
Use the name of the organization as if it were the name of the author

(CSIRO. 1996)

Bibliography (≡Reference List)

IDRC uses the author.date system, also known as the Harvard system, for references. The references are never put into footnotes.

The bibliography only contains a reference list, meaning a list of all cited references within the text. If uncited material must be included, it should be grouped together under the heading "Other Reading" and follow the cited references.

Sequence of List Items

The references should be arranged alphabetically by their author. Within each author, the items should be arranged in date order. Within date the items should be arranged alphabetically (1999a).

Book

Format:
Author name. Year of Publication. Book Title. Publisher, Place of Publication.

Single Author

Carrington, D.E.1979, Exciting Downtown Odours. Harcourt, Sydney.

Three Authors

Poobar, H., Lyttle, R. & Dunkim, H.R. 1999 A Little Nose: A Story of Faith and Hope. Penguin Books, New York.

More than Three Authors

Drinkham, G. et al. 1971. On the Nose. International Publishers, Sydney.

Edited Work

Gramsci, L. (ed.) 1994. The Last Smell. Blake & Wyndham, London.

Multivolume Work

Carrington, D.E.1979. Exciting Downtown Odours. 3 vols. Harcourt, Sydney.

Edition other than first

Carrington, D.E.1979. Exciting Downtown Odours. 4th edn. Harcourt, Sydney.

Multiple Reference

Several entries for the one author do not have the author's name repeated in the second or subsequent entries, instead the author's name is replaced by a short line about______ inch long (enter as five underlined spaces) with no period.

Example
NESDB (National Economic and Social Development Board). 1977. Fourth national economic and social development plan, 1977-81. NESDB, Bangkok, Thailand. 365 pp. [In Thai]
______ 1978. Fifth national economic and social development plan, 1981-85. NESDB, Bangkok, Thailand. 400 pp. [In Thai]

 

Article in a book

Format:

Author. Year of publication. 'Article title'. In Book Title, ed. Editor. Publisher, Place of Publication. article pages.

Ho, P. 1998. 'Old Time Smells'. In Essays on Eastern Fantasy. ed. J. Marigold. Harcourt, New York. pp. 23-33.

Annual Reports

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. 1998. Annual Report 1997-98. Coca-Cola Amatil, Sydney.

Government Publications

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1997. Government Finance Statistics 1995-96. Cat. No. 5512.0. ABS, Canberra.

Conference paper in published proceedings

Riley, D. 1992. 'Industrial relations in Australian education'. In Contemporary Australasian Industrial Relations: Proceedings of the Sixth AIRAANZ Conference. ed. D. Blackmur. AIRAANZ, Sydney. pp. 124-140.

Theses

Boykett, T.H.H. 1996. Algebraic aspects of reversible computation. PhD thesis. University of Western Australia.
 

CD-ROM

Format:
Author. Year of publication. Title. [CD-ROM]. Edition. Publisher, Place of Publication.

Economic Intelligence Unit. 1998. Investing, Licensing, and Trading. [CD-ROM]. Economic Intelligence Unit, London.

 

Articles - in print and electronic

Article in a journal

Format:

Author of article. Year of Publication. 'Article title'. In Journal Title. volume, issue, article pages.

Conley, T.G. and Galenson, D.W. 1998. 'Nativity and wealth in mid-nineteenth century cities'. Journal of Economic History. vol. 58. no. 2. pp. 468-493.

Article in a newspaper with a known author

Format:
Author of article. Year of publication. 'Article title'. In Newspaper Title. day and month of publication. page.

Ryan, D. 1998. 'Looking on the bright side'. The Age. 24 July. p. 17.

Article in a newspaper with no obvious author

Format:
Newspaper Title. day month, year of publication. page.

Financial Review. 23 Jan, 1987. p6

Article from an electronic database

Format:
Author(s) of article Year of publication. 'Article title'. Journal Title. [Electronic or CD-ROM]. volume, issue. article pages. Available: Supplier: Database name/id if available [Access date].

Hawke, A. 1998. 'The changing face of Australian industrial relations'. Economic Record [Electronic]. Vol. 74, no. 224. pp. 74-88. Available: Proquest: ABI/Inform [1999, Aug. 24].

'Right idea, wrong decade?'. 2000. The Guardian. [Electronic]. 7 August. Available: Dow Jones Interactive [2000, Dec. 13].

Indirect quotation

To cite material not taken from the original source but obtained through an intermediate source the reference is as follows:

Haselby, P. 1999. 'The panic of 1979'. quoted in Kickett, D. 2000. Worker on the Edge. University Press, Sydney. p. 72.

World Wide Web

No standard method for citing electronic sources of information has yet been agreed upon. This method is based on the style outlined in Electronic styles: a handbook for citing electronic information by Xia Li and Nancy B. Crane.

Format:
Author of webpage Last update or copyright date. Homepage Title [Homepage of...]. [Online]. Available: URL [Access date].

U. S. Department of Commerce 1999. September 3-last update. Indonesia Economic Trends and Outlook [Homepage of TradePort International Trade]. [Online]. Available: http://www.tradeport.org/ts/countries/indonesia/trends.html  [2000, Nov. 18 ].

If the author or editor is not available:

Format:
Homepage Title [Homepage of...]. [Online]. Last update or copyright date. Available: URL [Access date].

Indonesia Economic Trends and Outlook [Homepage of TradePort International Trade], [Online]. 1999, September 3-last update. Available: http://www.tradeport.org/ts/countries/indonesia/trends.html [2000, Nov. 18].

Annotated Bibliography

Format:
Appropriate bibliographic reference

    Narrative account of the work including such matters as Topic; Purpose and Audience; Scope; Outline; Sources; Bibliographic Form; Organization; Additional Features (indexes, annotations, library locations of works cited, and numbering of entries); Preliminaries (or Front Matter); Accuracy; Timeliness; Layout; Qualifications (of the compiler); and Promotion of the Publication.

In preparing an annotated bibliography for publication on its own, follow the guidelines set out in Guidelines for the Compilation of a Bibliography produced by the National Library of Canada (published September 1987). The following topics are discussed:

  • Topic;
  • Purpose and Audience;
  • Scope;
  • Outline;
  • Sources;
  • Bibliographic Form;
  • Organization;
  • Additional Features (indexes, annotations, library locations of works cited, and numbering of entries);
  • Preliminaries (or Front Matter);
  • Accuracy;
  • Timeliness;
  • Layout;
  • Qualifications (of the compiler); and
  • Promotion of the Publication.

Sequencing of entries

Within a reference list, sequence entries according to the following rules.

  • List alphabetically, according to first author's family name, without numbering them. Where more than one author has the same family name, list them alphabetically by their initials.
     
  • Arrange in year sequence (oldest to most recent) where an author has more than one. References where the date is unknown, n.d. references, are listed last.
     
  • Within year, where an author has more than one reference in the same year, arrange in alphabetic sequence of first word of title (excluding definite or indefinite articles) or in order of citation within the book ___ but be consistent, then assign letters a, b, c within year.
     
  • With multiple authors, arrange alphabetically by family names of first author, second author, third, and so on.
    Example
    Stockwell; Croome; Kealey. 1980. would appear before Stockwell; Drysdale; Legros. 1979.
  • List corporate authors alphabetically by the initial form first with the spelled-out form in parentheses.
    Example
    CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). 1980. ...

    Where there are several corporate authors, give initial forms first followed by spelled-out forms in parentheses. Separate both acronyms and full forms by semicolons.

    Example
    UNDP; WHO (United Nations Development Programme; World Heath Organization). 1992. ...

Sequencing of elements

The information elements and sequence needed for the six common types of reference are shown in the following examples. The solidus (/) breaks the elements and would be a period in the actual references.

  1. articles in periodicals
    author(s) / year of publication / title of article / title of periodical (not abbreviated), volume number, issue number (if available), inclusive page numbers.
  2. books
    author(s) or editor(s) / year of publication / title of book (edition number) / publisher, place of publication (city, country) / number of pages.
  3. articles in books
    author(s) / year of publication / title of chapter or article / In editor(s), title of book / publisher, place of publication / report number if it exists, inclusive page numbers.
  4. unpublished papers (presented at workshops, seminars, and conferences)
    author(s) / year of meeting / title of paper / title of meeting, dates of meeting, location of meeting / sponsoring agency, city, and country / number of pages.
  5. theses or internal reports
    author(s) / year / title / university or agency, address / type of thesis or identification number of report, number of pages.
  6. newspaper articles
    author(s) / year / title of article (or headline) / name of newspaper (plus city of publication if it is not part of newspaper name), date of issue, inclusive page numbers (with section designation if necessary).

Examples of these follow. Note positions of authors, use of punctuation, and use of capitals. Note also that "and" is not used between authors. (Numbers refer to the six types of reference listed above.)

  1. Young, A.S.; Burridge, M.J.; Payne, R.C. 1977. Transmission of a Theileria species to cattle by the ixodid tick Amblyomma cohaerens, Ponitz 1909. Tropical Animal Health Products, 9(1), 37-45.
    Note: No space is used between volume and issue number; issue may be designated by a season or month (use abbreviated months, see "Dates" in Chapter 3). Initials of given names are set tight.
  2. Yeh, S.H.K., ed. 1975. Public housing in Singapore: a multidisciplinary study (2nd ed.). Singapore University Press, Singapore. 1439 pp.
    Note: Designation of edition follows title. The abbreviation "ed." is always singular. Letter after colon is lower case. Pagination is set tight with no space for thousands.
  3. Graber, M. 1981. Helminths in wild ruminants in central Africa: impact on domestic ruminants (chapter 3). In Karstad, L.; Nestel, B.; Graham, M., ed., Wildlife disease research and economic development. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada. pp. 48-52.
    Note: If title of article is a numbered chapter, give chapter number in parentheses. In list of editors, last editor is followed by a comma before "ed."; the abbreviation "ed." is always singular; pp. is always lower case.
  4. Sumintardja, D. 1975. Low-cost housing in Indonesia. Paper presented at the Seminar on Low-Cost Housing and Fire Research, March 1975, Singapore. Association for Science Cooperation in Asia, Dae Jeng, Korea. 16 pp.
    Note: Name of seminar/conference is capitalized.
  5. Hamidi, A.S. 1975. Motivational factors toward literacy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. PhD dissertation, 132 pp.
  6. NESDB (National Economic and Social Development Board). 1977. Fourth national economic and social development plan, 1977-81. NESDB, Bangkok, Thailand. 365 pp. [In Thai]
    Note: Original language in brackets with no punctuation. Corporate author abbreviation is used in publisher's address.
  7. McLaren, C. 1991. Refugee backlog plan in a mess. Toronto Globe and Mail, 23 Feb. 1991, pp. A1, A4.