ABSTRACT
Electronic serial publications pose unique citation problems, whether these are digital versions of print publications or uniquely electronic ones. Many of the existing formats for scholarly citations fail to take into account the structure of electronic publications or to address adequately some of the specific issues prompted by online serial publications. This chapter examines the problems inherent in the formats proposed by the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) for citing online serial publications and outlines the tenets of an alternative format, Columbia Online Style (COS), an expansion of the Walker/ACW Style for citation of electronic sources. Further, it examines the specific structures of some common online serial publications and shows how these elements can be translated using COS to fit the purpose of scholarly citations for both print and online publications.
