Citations | Abbreviations
Citation Guides: The new edition of the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, 7th edition (McGill Guide) [LAW LIBRARY learning commons & LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE259 C35 2010 (LC)], is the required citation guide in Canada.
A quick reference guide to McGill citation is available at: Law Library, Queen's University Legal Citation.
Copies of the Harvard Bluebook [LAW LIBRARY learning commons (level 2) & LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KF245 .B58], the U.S. citation guide, are also available in both locations.
A few examples from the new edition of the McGill Guide:
CITATION:
Book:
| Author, | Title | edition | (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year) | pinpoint |
Example:
Maureen F Fitzgerald, Legal Problem Solving: Reasoning, Research and Writing, 4th ed (Markham: LexisNexis Canada, 2007) at 27.
Chapter in a book:
| Author, | “Title of Essay/Chapter” | in | Editor | Title of Book | (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year) | first page of essay | pinpoint. |
Example:
Douglas C Harris, “The Boldt Decision in Canada: Aboriginal Treaty Rights to Fish on the Pacific” in Alexandra Harmon, ed, The Power of Promises: Rethinking Indian Treaties in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2008) 128 at 132.
Key citation details:
- two authors: author1 & author2
- three authors: author1, author2 & author3
- capitalize words in titles
- second and third editions: 2d and 3d
- use the McGill Guide for further rules and examples
CITATION – JOURNAL ARTICLES
Formula:
| Author, | "article title" | (year) | volume:issue | abbreviation of journal | first page of article | pinpoint. |
Example:
David G Duff, “Carbon Taxation in British Columbia” (2008) 10:1 Vt J Envtl L 87 at 91.
Note:
For the abbreviated title, the McGill guide suggests using: Appendix D in the McGill Guide, Bieber’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations (on LexisNexis Academic
), or writing out the complete title. However, a more practical approach than the full title, for titles not found in the McGill Guide, would be to use analogous examples (as demonstrated in the example above).
ABBREVIATIONS
Selected sources for deciphering abbreviations include:
Online:
Print:
Most indexes (print or online) have a list of abbreviations for journals covered by that index
