Citation of periodicals

TLDR: The problem of using abbreviated forms to cite book titles has been studied extensively in the literature as discussed by the authors, where a number of problems arise because of titles almost similar in form in the same as well as different languages and countries.

Abstract: In the eighteenth century and earlier abbreviated forms were used even to cite book titles. Nobody could then possibly have foreseen th~ present day proliferation of periodicals particularly in the sciences. The practice of using abbreviated titles, once convenient for a much smaller number of periodicals, has given us quite a few problems to solve when applied to the greatly increased number of periodicals. Complications arise because of titles almost similar in form in the same as well as different languages and countries, the publications of corporate bodies and the transposition of words, the inconsistent use of capitals and small letters in the abbreviated forms, etc. Opinions differ as to the principles to be followed in the compilation of standard interna.tionallists of abbreviated forms or titles of periodicals. Hence we have more than one such international list.