Hello all, I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work. I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea. Is there a clear praxis here? Rich Ling ________________________________________
I have never agreed with obfuscating first names in the hopes of gender equality. In cases where anonymity is required, then no part of the name should be given for obvious reasons. When citing a person by name the point is to give credit, in whatever form, to a specific person. This might be to credit an original idea or to garner credibility for one's own, but in any event you are crediting an individual. In citing another person you are, by definition, drawing attention to them. If some individuals will engage in sexist decisions based on that knowledge then the problem is deeper than the citation system and will not be solved by hiding first names. Further, two obfuscate the first name is contradictory to the notion of citing another's work. They are people, not anonymous, genderless boxes of information. While I agree there is sometimes a sexist aspect to people's viewing of other works, the citations system should not be predicated on it. Rather, it should seek only to clearly identify the path that knowledge and ideas have taken from their genesis to current use. This represents a cornerstone of progressive research. That is my two cents, please feel free to tell me why I am wrong. -Gordon Carlson -University of Illinois at Chicago On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 4:47 PM, <richard.ling@telenor.com> wrote:
Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work.
I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea.
Is there a clear praxis here?
Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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-- Gordon Carlson C: 541-990-1155
It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women. I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity. Regards, Marj Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work. I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea. Is there a clear praxis here? Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
I would go so far as to say that making women visible is crucial in order to combat persistent stereotypes that women don't do techie work. Best, Kim On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 3:06 PM, Marj Kibby <Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au>wrote:
It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women.
I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity.
Regards, Marj
Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work.
I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea.
Is there a clear praxis here?
Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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-- Kim De Vries http://else-if-then.blogspot.com
First initials only renders invisible the contributions of women ... well, of men, too, for that matter. It is also a violation of the accuracy principle in citation style -- i.e., get the article/book title, the journal, the names of the authors *exactly* right, as published. I favor breaking with APA guidelines on this point. Jim Porter
I would go so far as to say that making women visible is crucial in order to combat persistent stereotypes that women don't do techie work.
Best,
Kim
On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 3:06 PM, Marj Kibby <Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au>wrote:
It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women.
I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity.
Regards, Marj
Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work.
I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea.
Is there a clear praxis here?
Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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I would be happy to be cited as Cheesman, R. even if this obfuscates both my roots and my gender. Well, my first name shows little about my gender anyhow. I don't mind and cannot understand why I should. The citation format required might be MLA, APA or whatever, I submit to that. To me it is the work cited that might be interesting - not age, height, gender, nationality, colour ... Robin El 26/10/2008 05:06 p.m., Marj Kibby escribió:
It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women.
I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity.
Regards, Marj
Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work.
I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea.
Is there a clear praxis here?
Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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Agreed, wholeheartedly! But I don't think first names should be deliberately omitted by the writer as a strategy to bring about gender equality. Marj Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
Robin Cheesman <robin@ruc.dk> 10/27/2008 9:23 AM >>> I would be happy to be cited as Cheesman, R. even if this obfuscates both my roots and my gender. Well, my first name shows little about my
gender anyhow. I don't mind and cannot understand why I should. The citation format required might be MLA, APA or whatever, I submit to that. To me it is the work cited that might be interesting - not age, height, gender, nationality, colour ... Robin El 26/10/2008 05:06 p.m., Marj Kibby escribió:
It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women.
I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity.
Regards, Marj
Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work.
I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea.
Is there a clear praxis here?
Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Hi, For an example of what Marj points out: A few years ago, I read a book that addressed the dearth of women scholars who specialize in public policy. The author of the book was male, for what it's worth. In making the argument that few women work in policy fields, the book cited quotations and paraphrased the writings of "M. E. Hawkesworth," the latter of whom was referred to as "he." In fact, "M. E. Hawkesworth" is Mary Hawkesworth, and she is one of the top feminist scholars working in public policy as well as international relations (for decades now, and anyone working in public policy should be aware of her work). I mentioned the mistake to the author of the book, who suggested that the copy editor might have changed "she" to "he." In any case, this example seems to suggest that people tend to read initials as referring to male scholars. Best. Lisa [McLaughlin] (or "Laugh"" if anyone wishes to alter my family name to avoid judgments based on my Irish heritage:-) On 10/26/08 6:06 PM, "Marj Kibby" <Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au> wrote: It could be argued that omitting first names brings about not gender equality, but the further erasure of the contributions of women. I'm assuming you do not alter family names in the interest of avoiding judgements on the basis of ethnicity. Regards, Marj Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Film, Media and Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Convenor School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604
<richard.ling@telenor.com> 10/27/2008 8:47 AM >>> Hello all,
I need advice on the style of citations. I generally use only initials for first names in the name of gender equality. The idea being that the reader will judge the citation not by the gender of the author but by the quality of the work. I have recently been asked to change this format to include full given names. In addition to being a pain to look up all the names it seems to violate the gender equality idea. Is there a clear praxis here? Rich Ling ________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
participants (7)
-
Gordon Carlson -
Jim Porter -
KMV -
Marj Kibby -
McLaughlin, Lisa M. Dr. -
richard.ling＠telenor.com -
Robin Cheesman