[1507] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Citations to e-files
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lawrence Auld)
Fri Oct 16 10:55:34 1992
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 09:38:42 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: Lawrence Auld <LSAULD%ECUVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Please respond directly to the author, not PACS-L. Thanks, Dana
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Summary: A request for information on how electronic files are
cataloged and cited.
<<Please respond directly to the author.>>
I am preparing a paper on current and envisioned practices for
cataloging and preparing citations for electronic journals, articles
in electronic journals, other electronic publications, electronic
data bases, and electronic communications. (Yes, these are
overlapping sets.) I am especially interesting in how we can
approach the bibliographic control of items that are dynamic (often
volatile), changing as they are revised, corrected, or perfected,
replacing previous versions, often without notice or (apparent)
identification.
Handling stable electronic files would seem to be relatively
straightforward, a matter of preparing catalog records and index
citations for files that are, essentially, in a permanent,
unchanging form. However, you may ask, Should we do this for other
(selected) electronic files and e-mail, too? Why not? We catalog
and index selected manuscripts and letters written on paper, so why
not selected electronic files?
Please, tell me about your experiences, observations, and thoughts.
The following questions may be helpful. Send along examples, too.
1. Have you prepared and/or used a bibliographic citation(s) for an
electronic journal or other electronic publication or an item(s) in
such a publication? Was it useable "as is," or did it require
modification?
2. Was the entity that was cataloged or cited "stable," i.e., was
it in a relatively permanent and enduring format? Or, was the entity
subject to revisions, corrections, and/or perfections? In other
words was the entity likely to still be there <unchanged> when you
or someone else looked at it later?
3. How can the dynamic qualities of some electronic bibliographic
entities be acknowledged in catalog records and citations? Should
we develop a form of date-stamping, indicating the provenance (time
of access, system used, etc.) of the entity cataloged or cited?
You'll probably think of some other questions that I should have
asked. Pose them, and give me an answer if you can.
You may forward this message to other interested persons who do not
participate in PACS-L. Also, share a paper copy with interested
persons who are not on the internet.
Thanks.
Please send your responses via either e-mail or snail-mail to
Lawrence Auld
Dept of Library Studies & Educational Technology
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27885-4353
LSAULD@ECUVM1.Bitnet
919/757-6621
