FAQs
Referencing
Common abbreviations used in referencing
Important: different departments have different rules – always check your department’s
handbook e.g. some departments may require full stops after the abbreviations such as p.
rather than p
Q
What’s the abbreviation for ...?
A
Here is a list of the abbreviations you are most likely to need to use in the authordate system...
Common abbreviations (in English)
Singular
Plural
Meaning
Ap
Ch
ed (or Ed)
Aps or App
Chs
e(E)ds
Appendix/Appendices
Chapter(s)
editor(s) or edited [by]
edn (or Edn)
Fig
p
par or para
vol
e(E)dns
Figs
pp
pars or paras
vols (or vol)
edition(s)
Figure(s)
page(s)
paragraph(s)
volume(s)
Notes
Capitalize or not according to your
Handbook
With an ‘n’ to distinguish it from ‘editor’
preferably NOT pg
Some use the ‘pilcrow’ - ¶, ¶¶
...and others you may see but not need to use ...
Others you are less likely to need
bk
f
l
MS (or ms)
s or sec
st
v
bks (or bk)
ff
ll
MSS (or mss)
ss or secc
vv
book(s)
[the] following [page(s)]
line(s)
Manuscript(s)
section(s)
stanza(s)
verse(s)
mostly for older texts, like the Bible
Better than et seq nowadays
usually for verse quotations
Some use the section-mark §, §§
only used for verse quotations
alternative for line (mostly in foreign
verse) or stanza (in English)
...and finally some Latin ones (although et al. is commonly used, do check that your department
will accept these)
LATIN ABBREVIATIONS
Singular
et al.
et seq
ibid. or ib.
Plural
et seqq
Latin word(s)
English meaning
English alternative
et alii
et sequentes
ibidem
et ‘and’ alii ‘others’
and the following page(s)
the same
f., ff.
-
inf.
infra
below
below
loc. cit.
loco citato
in the place already quoted
-
op. cit.
opere citato
in the work already quoted
-
q.
quem
which
sup.
supra
above
in such phrases as q. v.
‘which see’, i.e. ‘look it up’
above
V.
vide, videte (pl.)
see
see