Plural Citations
Mar. 9th, 2022 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lb_leeOver lunch with Rings System, we talked about citing plurals in papers.
It’s a pain. While working on Cultiples, I had to cite multiple identically-named headmates from different nameless groups, all of whom were active at the same time. (This is what I call the “three Buffys” problem.) Some people gave or had no name at all, used multiple names, or constantly changed their name—as a group, individual, or both. And those are just the logistical problems!
However, despite all this complexity, most plurals sign their work in just five ways (with mixes-and-matches thereof):
• Legal or vessel name: Emma Hryniewicz, Meg-John Barker, LB Lee
• Group name: the DreamWriters Polyplex, Team MJ Barker, Loony-Brain
• Sub-group within the larger group: Honeybees, the disowned parts, the Lee alter family
• Individual headmate’s name: Kevin, Max, Sneak
• Screen-name or handle: dreamwriteremmy, megjohnbarker, lb-lee
All I had to do was build a citations system that could manage all five ways (and their combinations), and only if I couldn’t find the plural in question stating their preference. (For example, we prefer all our work cited as just LB Lee, perhaps with an added individual headmate name if necessary; we only use our group or sub-group names for example purposes.) After trial, error, tears, and time, here’s what I came up with:
For legal or vessel names:
Vessel Last Name, Vessel First Name: Sub-Group and Individual First Name Last Name [screen-name or handle used in source].
Examples:
Emezi, Akwaeke. (2019). Pet. New York: Make me a World.
Barker, Meg-John: Tony and Max of. (2016). Plural Selves. Retrieved from https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/PluralSelvesZine.pdf
Doe, Jane: Protectors and Jenny Doe of [jennydeer]. (2004). Hello, World! [blog post] Retrieved from www.madeupblog.com/2004/02/02/HelloWorld.html
For group names:
Group Name: Sub-Group and Individual First Name Last Name [screen-name or handle used in source].
Examples:
R.O.S.C.O.E. (2021). Ouroboros: A Plural Zine about why being plural has made it hard to make a plural zine etc. Manyfold Press.
The Metallic System: Hidden Storys of. (2016). Small Worlds, Contained Inside: Visualization Guide [tulpa.io forum post]. https://tulpa.io/discuss/threads/small-worlds-contained-inside-visualization-guide.289/ Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20161015030414/https://tulpa.io/discuss/threads/small-worlds-contained-inside-visualization-guide.289/
Plures House: Jack Dawkins, James Dawkins, and Lilly Ghia-Wilberforce of. (2013). Who Are We? Plures 101. Retrieved from http://www.exunoplures.org/main/articles/intro/
Sesquipedalian Synergy System: Bureaucrats, Paper-pushers, and Bean Counter Bill of [promotesynergy]. (2008). The State of Sesquipedalian Taxes, Bureaucracy, and Middle-Management [blog post]. Retrieved from www.sesquipedaliantaxfetishists.com/redtapebondage.html
If something has multiple plural creators, you cite them in alphabetical order using the same system:
HMS Beagle, LB Lee [Loony Brain], and Zyfron. (2011) Healthymultiplicity.com [home page]. http://healthymultiplicity.com/ Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20110208000103/http://healthymultiplicity.com/
The plus side of this system is, different members of the same plural get grouped together; there’s less flipping through pages, searching for two headmates with alphabetically distant names. (And if that doesn’t sound like a big deal, keep in mind that Cultiples II had hundreds of citations involving dozens of headmates from handfuls of groups, plus the three Buffys problem. You never want an abuser to be confused with his identically-named victim, but without group names, it would’ve been inevitable.)
There are downsides. Some plurals don’t like being cited as a group. If they can solve the three Buffys problem, I welcome their corrections. This citation system also gets unwieldy for really complex entries, like the Sesquipedalian System example I made up, but that happens if you have a bunch of singlet authors as well, and that’s why “et al.” exists. Most frustrating is if a plural has identically named headmates, no given group name or vessel name, or keep changing those names. Here are my workarounds:
In the case of identical headmate names, all you can do is give them numbers (Olivia I and Olivia II) or use titles or nicknames, if extant. (For instance, I differentiated Eric and Erik of Draven by calling them the Crow and the Phantom.) For no group name, you may have to invent one, purely for citational convenience. I had to do that with Draven as well. (My previous attempt, citing each individual headmate separately or as “Unknown” or “Anonymous,” was a swamp of confusion.)
For changing names, the only workaround I’ve found is to cite using the most recent correct name available, while putting the name used in the source itself within square brackets, like so:
Lee, LB [Loony-Brain]. (2010). Questions: A 2x12 Comic. Self-published.
Lee, LB: Rogan of [Rogan Lee]. (2010). FTMPD: an alter boy zine. Retrieved from http://healthymultiplicity.com/loonybrain/Comics/FTMPD/FTMPD01.html
Unfortunately, that doesn’t work if the names are constantly changing. I cited one plural who went through four very different group names over the course of a year, and all I could do was list the names to keep the paper trail alive, so readers would know that it was the same plural with a different name, not someone else trying to steal their work.
I am not an academic. I’m sure other people will improve on this system. But at least it’s a start.
It’s a pain. While working on Cultiples, I had to cite multiple identically-named headmates from different nameless groups, all of whom were active at the same time. (This is what I call the “three Buffys” problem.) Some people gave or had no name at all, used multiple names, or constantly changed their name—as a group, individual, or both. And those are just the logistical problems!
However, despite all this complexity, most plurals sign their work in just five ways (with mixes-and-matches thereof):
• Legal or vessel name: Emma Hryniewicz, Meg-John Barker, LB Lee
• Group name: the DreamWriters Polyplex, Team MJ Barker, Loony-Brain
• Sub-group within the larger group: Honeybees, the disowned parts, the Lee alter family
• Individual headmate’s name: Kevin, Max, Sneak
• Screen-name or handle: dreamwriteremmy, megjohnbarker, lb-lee
All I had to do was build a citations system that could manage all five ways (and their combinations), and only if I couldn’t find the plural in question stating their preference. (For example, we prefer all our work cited as just LB Lee, perhaps with an added individual headmate name if necessary; we only use our group or sub-group names for example purposes.) After trial, error, tears, and time, here’s what I came up with:
For legal or vessel names:
Vessel Last Name, Vessel First Name: Sub-Group and Individual First Name Last Name [screen-name or handle used in source].
Examples:
Emezi, Akwaeke. (2019). Pet. New York: Make me a World.
Barker, Meg-John: Tony and Max of. (2016). Plural Selves. Retrieved from https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/PluralSelvesZine.pdf
Doe, Jane: Protectors and Jenny Doe of [jennydeer]. (2004). Hello, World! [blog post] Retrieved from www.madeupblog.com/2004/02/02/HelloWorld.html
For group names:
Group Name: Sub-Group and Individual First Name Last Name [screen-name or handle used in source].
Examples:
R.O.S.C.O.E. (2021). Ouroboros: A Plural Zine about why being plural has made it hard to make a plural zine etc. Manyfold Press.
The Metallic System: Hidden Storys of. (2016). Small Worlds, Contained Inside: Visualization Guide [tulpa.io forum post]. https://tulpa.io/discuss/threads/small-worlds-contained-inside-visualization-guide.289/ Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20161015030414/https://tulpa.io/discuss/threads/small-worlds-contained-inside-visualization-guide.289/
Plures House: Jack Dawkins, James Dawkins, and Lilly Ghia-Wilberforce of. (2013). Who Are We? Plures 101. Retrieved from http://www.exunoplures.org/main/articles/intro/
Sesquipedalian Synergy System: Bureaucrats, Paper-pushers, and Bean Counter Bill of [promotesynergy]. (2008). The State of Sesquipedalian Taxes, Bureaucracy, and Middle-Management [blog post]. Retrieved from www.sesquipedaliantaxfetishists.com/redtapebondage.html
If something has multiple plural creators, you cite them in alphabetical order using the same system:
HMS Beagle, LB Lee [Loony Brain], and Zyfron. (2011) Healthymultiplicity.com [home page]. http://healthymultiplicity.com/ Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20110208000103/http://healthymultiplicity.com/
The plus side of this system is, different members of the same plural get grouped together; there’s less flipping through pages, searching for two headmates with alphabetically distant names. (And if that doesn’t sound like a big deal, keep in mind that Cultiples II had hundreds of citations involving dozens of headmates from handfuls of groups, plus the three Buffys problem. You never want an abuser to be confused with his identically-named victim, but without group names, it would’ve been inevitable.)
There are downsides. Some plurals don’t like being cited as a group. If they can solve the three Buffys problem, I welcome their corrections. This citation system also gets unwieldy for really complex entries, like the Sesquipedalian System example I made up, but that happens if you have a bunch of singlet authors as well, and that’s why “et al.” exists. Most frustrating is if a plural has identically named headmates, no given group name or vessel name, or keep changing those names. Here are my workarounds:
In the case of identical headmate names, all you can do is give them numbers (Olivia I and Olivia II) or use titles or nicknames, if extant. (For instance, I differentiated Eric and Erik of Draven by calling them the Crow and the Phantom.) For no group name, you may have to invent one, purely for citational convenience. I had to do that with Draven as well. (My previous attempt, citing each individual headmate separately or as “Unknown” or “Anonymous,” was a swamp of confusion.)
For changing names, the only workaround I’ve found is to cite using the most recent correct name available, while putting the name used in the source itself within square brackets, like so:
Lee, LB [Loony-Brain]. (2010). Questions: A 2x12 Comic. Self-published.
Lee, LB: Rogan of [Rogan Lee]. (2010). FTMPD: an alter boy zine. Retrieved from http://healthymultiplicity.com/loonybrain/Comics/FTMPD/FTMPD01.html
Unfortunately, that doesn’t work if the names are constantly changing. I cited one plural who went through four very different group names over the course of a year, and all I could do was list the names to keep the paper trail alive, so readers would know that it was the same plural with a different name, not someone else trying to steal their work.
I am not an academic. I’m sure other people will improve on this system. But at least it’s a start.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-09 07:35 pm (UTC)People here use that for locals, friends in systems or not, and so forth. There are a fuck ton of Lances, Lees, and Nicks everywhere.
It's easier to remember and visualize the person being talked about than adding I, II, and the numbers are still usable if there isn't a convenient way to distinguish them.
- Kronos
no subject
Date: 2022-03-09 09:22 pm (UTC)But Jude the Less-style IS more sensible and easier to remember.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-10 03:53 am (UTC)Better to have a variety of options than only a few. :) I do nooooot envy you for having to sit down and work it out, but it's a necessary thing and an important one.
- Kronos (he/him)
no subject
Date: 2022-03-10 05:46 pm (UTC)Case not covered that I noticed: someone who uses multiple names for the same person in the same article. If Sam also goes by Gerome, Angry One, and Alex in a way that no one name is more correct, how would that be handled? My best guess at it is either use the first name given, the first name alphabetically, or list them all out in a bracketed list, but I'm not an academic either and honestly have no idea what the best way to handle that is.
Citation Comment Proposal
Date: 2022-03-21 05:19 pm (UTC)The best approach for adding on citation styles would be to follow a citation format - in this case I'll go by APA, but the approach could be reworked for MLA, Chicago, and others as needed. Guidelines found here - https://www.mendeley.com/guides/apa-citation-guide/
This at minimum covers how to handle multiple authors - et al and so forth. When it comes to alters sharing the same name, the standard format is to cite them both as typical. I've no doubt that alters could choose to represent different initials or use nicknames if they so choose, but this is the standard practice. https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2018/02/whats-in-a-name-authors-with-the-same-surname.html
Considering this, there comes the issue of how to integrate different styles. My system implements a style in our names by abbreviating our system name at the end of each alter's full name. For example, our system name is the Invariant System, and so when signing off on various emails and the like, I'd cite my name there as Eleanor Inv.
I also feel that the citation styles proposed can be condensed and reworked a bit. For instance, while having an option for vessel name is important, incorporating it into a proposed citation format reads as clunky and difficult to parse, and perhaps an all-inclusive citation style may not be desirable. Instead, I think two citation styles being offered may suffice, taking inspiration from how trans authors get cited - one style to incorporate alter name and system name, and then separately choosing the body's name if so chosen.
Considering this, I'd like to propose a revised system citation format, by APA standards.
Alter surname, initials (System Name), Alter surname, initials (System Name), (Year Published), Title of Source. Location of publisher: publisher. Retrieved from URL:
If systems choose to cite themselves as their entire system for the work, they could get cited in the way organizations do by simply citing the system name. https://libguides.utep.edu/c.php?g=429836&p=2936571
In an example of citing this comment,
Doe, E (Invariant System), Doe, E (Invariant System), Example Collective. 2022, Citation Comment Proposal. LiveJournal: Dreamwidth. Retrieved from URL: example.com
This comes from viewing the citations for how films are cited; directors, writers and publishers each get cited with their respective role, which applying the basic principle elsewhere allows for differentiation of systems from singlets, lumping of different alters, and - if systems choose to put themselves as their collective name, then they too get differentiation. This can also be adapted relatively easily into other citation formats, too, by looking at how they cite films with job titles.
MLA as an example - https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mla-citation-guide/
Doe, Eleanor, Invariant System, Doe, Eleanor, Invariant System, Example System. "Title of Source." Title of container, other contributors, version, numbers, publisher, publication date, location.
This of course doesn't cover in-text citations whatsoever, which too are crucial. Considering this, I believe that we too should look to citation guides. Doing this will have us cite alters by their names, so in the prior APA case, we'd simply say (Doe, 2022) as an example. We could also of course substitute system names, say (Invariant System, 2022).
It's, of course, imperfect, but so too are citation formats. Hope this can help build on this so more can be done, too.
Re: Citation Comment Proposal
Date: 2022-03-21 05:30 pm (UTC)Doe, Eleanor (Invariant System, Lamppost Subsystem) for APA, and
Doe, Eleanor, Invariant System, Lamppost Subsystem for MLA.
This revises the citation styles to be, retrospectively,
Alter surname, initials (System Name, Subgroup Name), Alter surname, initials (System Name), (Year Published), Title of Source. Location of publisher: publisher. Retrieved from URL:
Alter surname, alter first name, system name, subrgoup name. "Title of Source." Title of container, other contributors, version, numbers, publisher, publication date, location.
The order of primacy for in-text citations, going by again both standards listed, should be Alter Names > Subgroup Names > Collective Names. So, if I chose to cite the Lamppost Subsystem in the Invariant System exclusively, then in-text would be (Lamppost Subsystem, 2022).