OK, so here’s the considered reply from Peggy… without whose patient sustentation my own words would appear as if the product of a blithering buffoon…
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Peggy writes...
What an interesting question to consider!
I think that referencing appears rather arduous and can seem to threaten both the ‘flow’ and succinctness of one’s writing. However, I have come to think of it very differently, realizing that it supports my efforts and also allows the reader to trust me.
‘Write for the reader’ is a motto that I nail to my forehead. When I answer to who is my reader? and what is my topic? the referencing style most compatible to that combination tends to surface.
The ‘naked page’ style is my term for no brackets or referencing numbers in the text. It allows a nearly-conversational style of writing by simply telling the reader what, when and where happened to create a reference. An event such as a conference gathering or television interview, for instance, can be written into the narrative. This can easily include a quote, too. All the information is there, given to the reader in one ‘picture’ that does not require them to relocate their attention.
I adore the asterisk. Not so much when I am writing, as in my own reading. It is not in the least terrifying. I don’t have to turn a page and I don’t have to get up and open the dictionary. A foreign word or an antiquated device can be explained in a line or two at the bottom of the page. Job done.
Next is a referencing style that places Notes at the back of the book but leaves the reader’s page clear. The Note gives only the book’s page number, followed by a line of text to help the reader find their place on that page. This line of text can be a quote, a sentence beginning or simply a general concept. The rest of the Note can be anything that supports or enhances the writing on the page.
I enjoy this style, both as a reader and a writer. It delivers the essentials – such as a citation - and can sometimes build a relaxed and delightful sense of companionship. The Note can accommodate a digression or a not-many-people-know-that tidbit of information that adds colour to the topic.
The other referencing styles use numbering on the reader’s page. I understand that some readers find this unpleasant because they worry the book will be too academic for them. Reducing font size of the super-script numbering is perhaps one way to deal with this reaction. However, I notice that I very quickly ‘stop seeing’ the numbering while I am reading. It only ‘re-appears’ when I mentally ask myself a question about what I have just read.
The exception is while reading scientific or medical research papers. OMG! These are all about numbers and abbreviations and, though fascinating and well-organized, are a very different sort of reading experience. A glass of wine, please!
