Quote:
Originally Posted by JMikeD
I don't care if an ebook has page numbers or not, since it doesn’t affect my reading, but in regards citing pages for academic usage: if page numbers from a printed copy were embedded in the ebook, wouldn't that run the cost up a bit? It seems like it would require hand-tweaking. Also, since there are different editions of printed books, frequently with different page counts, would there have to be multiple page numbers in the ebook file, one for each edition? Would you have to purchase a new ebook version every time a revised book was printed? In citing academic works, you already have to specify which edition you are using.
With regards to book clubs or casual reading, do you put the page numbers in for hardcover or paperback? Regular or large-print versions?
I don't have an answer, but it seems more complicated than just putting in "page numbers."
|
... which is why when it comes to citing books, one is technically supposed to refer to the edition of a book (when there are multiple editions), the publisher, the city of publication, and even the total number of pages in addition to the page number something is on. At the university I graduated from, they had an office that spot checked your dissertation for completeness and accuracy with regard to references and citations.
With ebooks, the solution could be as simple as citing the "location" (according to the device and file format which could be locations on the Kindle, Pages on the Sony, and so on), the format (epub vs. mobi vs. pdf) vs perhaps the total number of locations or maybe even the size of the file to keep in line with the different editions that could exist with regard to ebooks.
The key is for a reader to be able to find the exact source exactly as you did. If the author cites an ebook, then the reader needs to be able to find it using that same ebook. While the citation may exist in other editions be it print or file format, that shouldn't have to be accurate. Afterall, if the information is good enough, a person can roughly estimate where the citation may be in another format or edition of the same source.