Seldom have I heard of a better argument for hypertext over
As the JASIS board member who proposed the American conventional linear text (which superiority I rarely accept, oth-Psychological Association format, I feel compelled to respond erwise) than in this recent correspondence over citation styles.
to the letter from Drs. Garfield and Small proposing that we Yes, it's hard to find the citing text if sequential numbers are revert to a numbered citation format. not used. Yes, also, it's hard to browse the bibliography of a
The arguments laid out in my letter to the editor (Borgman, paper in which citations are listed in the order cited. And yes, 1985) presented the issues to the ASIS membership in 1985. indeed, finding the location of a cite is trivial in well-written Several responded with letters to the editor. My letter formed hypertext.
the basis for discussion by the editorial board, held at an ASIS Surely, there could be a compromise for print publications, annual meeting. The new policy was set forth in an editorial such as appending to the end of a citation the page(s) on which by you. Thus it was discussed with the membership at the time. reference is made to the work cited. Of course, changing the As someone who conducts bibliometric research, I undermethod of citation is like proposing a re-interpretation of the stand the arguments of Drs. Garfield and Small. However, their Bible (whichever one you like).
perspectives as publishers are only one part of the picture. I stand by my arguments presented more than a decade ago that the APA format is far easier for authors to produce and for readers to follow, and is less prone to error. Contrary to their Charles T. Meadow claims, creating numbered formats is an ''unbearable, time con-