Author Guidelines
The primary purpose of this peer-reviewed journal is to publish material on libraries, information supply and other related matters in South and Southern Africa. Potential contributors are invited to submit work for consideration as articles (3000-4000 words) or shorter contributions (up to 1000 words) which should be written in a lucid style, addressing the needs and concerns of the working librarian, and demonstrating at least one of the following:
• a practical approach to library issues of general interest
• original, controversial or even provocative viewpoints
• a critical understanding of the socio-political, educational and economic realities of contemporary South and Southern Africa
Each article should be accompanied by an abstract of no more than 100 words. References should follow the example in the Style Summary below. Book reviews are also welcome.
Submissions in Microsoft Word can be attached to an e-mail to: ramdass@ukzn.ac.za
Diskettes or compact disks (accompanied by at least one printed copy of an article) can be posted to:
The Editors
c/o University Library
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Private Bag X014
Scottsville
South Africa
3209
Style Summary
Quotations in text
Run in or set off (blocked) quotation. If a quote is five typed lines or more it can be set off as a block quotation, i.e. indented with no quotation marks. Use no punctuation between a block quotation and the text if not syntactically required. The text reference is included at the end of the
block quotation prior to the final full stop.
Initial letter of a quotation. If a quotation is syntactically part of a sentence, it begins with a lowercase letter, even if the original is a complete sentence beginning with a capital letter. If the quotation is not syntactically dependent, then use a capital initial letter if in the original.
Double and single quotation marks. Use double quotation marks for direct quotes, with single quotation marks for quotes within a quotation, e.g. “To say that ‘I mean what I say’ is ...”. Use use single quotation marks for words or phrases used ironically and for a so-called function, e.g. ‘privatising’. If the term so-called is used prior to the term, no quotation marks are needed.
Spelling
Use English(South Africa) or English(UK) spelling. Do not use English(US) spelling.
Previous practice has favoured -ise, e.g. organise rather than organize, but consistency of usage within an article is the most important consideration.
Endnotes
Endnotes rather than footnotes are used.
References
Reference list
The author-date (Harvard) citation system based on the 15th edition of The Chicago manual of style is used. The list of works cited, headed “References”, arranged alphabetically by author, appears at the end of the article.
Use minimal or sentence capitalisation for titles of publications, e.g. Innovation: journal of appropriate librarianship and information work in Southern Africa, Financial mail. Do not use a capital initial letter after a colon.
List works by the same author(s) chronologically by publication date. Two or more works by the same author(s) in the same year are distinguished by lower case letters after the date, e.g. 2007a and 2007b.
Reference to a book
Author(s). Year. Title. Place: Publisher.
Case, D.O. 2002. Looking for information: a survey of research on information needs, seeking and behaviour. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Reference to a chapter in a book
Author(s) of chapter. Year. Title of chapter. In Editor(s) ed. (or eds) Title of book. Place: Publisher, page(s).
Fisher, K.E. and Naumer, C.M. 2006. Information grounds: theoretical basis and empirical findings on information flow in social settings. In Spink, A. and Cole, C. eds. New directions in human information behaviour. Amsterdam: Kluwer, pp. 93-111.
Reference to an article in a periodical
Author(s). Year. Title of article. Title of periodical volume number(part number): page(s).
Underwood, P. 2009. Supporting the information needs of entrepreneurs in South Africa. Library review 58(8): 569-580.
In the case of newspapers, day and month are given instead of volume and part number.
References to an unpublished thesis
Author. Year. Title. Description, Place, Institution.
Marumo, T. 2000. Information seeking behaviour of the dental faculty lecturers and students at the University of the Western Cape’s Oral Health Centre Library, Mitchell’s Plain. MBibl thesis.
Belville: University of the Western Cape.
References to online information resources
These include all the elements required for references to printed resources with the addition of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the date on which the item was accessed.
Schonfeld, R.C. and Guthrie, K.M. 2007. The changing information services needs of faculty.
Educause review 42(4): 4-7. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0746.pdf Accessed 8
December 2010.
Text references
Text references state the author(s) surname(s), year of publication and page numbers, all or some of which are within brackets, e.g. (Case 2002: 17). URLs are not included in text references.
