Is a bibliography necessary; if so, when?

Hi,

I have a book (and I have seen other examples) that uses detailed and comprehensive endnotes in the style suggested by EE, but does not include a bibliography or source list.

Before seeing this I had wondered about this in the sense that since the endnotes already include robust and detailed information concerning my sources, is a bibliography even needed?

I would be appreciative if EE could comment on this question.

1) Is a bibliography merely a matter of convenience to a reviewer or reader or should it always be considered a mandatory component of works of genealogy?

2) Is there a guideline or rules that define when a bibliography is optional or mandatory?

3) As with so many other related issues, does the real answer to this question come down to a matter of style?

Thank you so very much, in advance, for your reply.

Submitted byEEon Sun, 04/10/2016 - 20:06

pbaum, in history fields, back-of-book bibliographies are generally expected. No matter how detailed the chapter endnotes are, most readers are disappointed and frustrated if a bibliography does not appear. A well-organized, well-categorized list of all the sources that have been used will help readers understand the scope and depth of the work you've done. It will enable them to quickly check whether certain sources were or were not used. It provides a convenient and valuable reference work for them to come back to again and again in doing their own research on a related topic or the same geographic area. Expecting readers to comb numerous chapter notes to glean this understanding and information really is not realistic.

Sorry if this is not the answer you were hoping for!