Which of the following is a valid edition notation for a dictionary (as in a standard reference work)?

Study for the Bluebook Citation Test. Access comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions with detailed explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a valid edition notation for a dictionary (as in a standard reference work)?

When citing a standard reference work, the edition is shown with the abbreviation ed. and the publication year is placed in parentheses. This combination—9th ed. (2009)—clearly marks the edition and ties the date to that edition without extra punctuation that could confuse readers. Using the period after ed. is important because ed. is an abbreviation for edition, and the period signals that it’s an abbreviated form. Spelling out edition instead of using ed. is less conventional in this kind of citation, and placing the year after a comma without parentheses disrupts the standard rhythm Bluebook style expects for edition information. So the best presentation is Black's Law Dictionary 9th ed. (2009).

When citing a standard reference work, the edition is shown with the abbreviation ed. and the publication year is placed in parentheses. This combination—9th ed. (2009)—clearly marks the edition and ties the date to that edition without extra punctuation that could confuse readers. Using the period after ed. is important because ed. is an abbreviation for edition, and the period signals that it’s an abbreviated form. Spelling out edition instead of using ed. is less conventional in this kind of citation, and placing the year after a comma without parentheses disrupts the standard rhythm Bluebook style expects for edition information. So the best presentation is Black's Law Dictionary 9th ed. (2009).

More practice questions