Flip open a book to compare the cover with the title page. These are not always exactly the same in wording. A cover might abbreviate a subtitle, highlight the name of a series, or make the illustrator much larger than the primary author. You will likely find the most accurate information on the title page since it shows the official title and names the primary contributors, but take a moment to read it rather than just noting the largest words first.
Note the author or corporate author, full title, subtitle, and contributors, including names like editor or translator. How is the information broken up? Is there a phrase after the title that explains what the book is about rather than continuing the title? Is someone listed as being “edited by” rather than the actual author? Taking time to differentiate author from title and contributors will save you confusion later.
Now flip to the copyright page, usually on the back of the title page or in the following several pages. You may see information like publisher, publication date, edition, ISBN, copyright holder, printer, and cataloging-in-publication information. None of this needs to be included in a simple bibliography, but try to pick out the fields you will need for the type of source and style. Before you return the book to the shelf, take time to jot down this information in a document. If you are just looking for a general bibliography, there is no need to copy the whole page.
Instead, list out all the parts you could potentially use like author, title, subtitle, contributor role, edition, publisher, publication date, and ISBN. Don’t worry about formatting yet, since you will still need to double-check. By listing out the information in an easy-to-read format, you can quickly compare your findings with a library catalog entry, and notice if they are different editions or formats from the same publisher or from different publishers.
If you see any mention of edition information like second edition, revised edition, updated edition, etc., you know this book differs from an earlier edition. However, something like first paperback printing might describe the printing, not a different edition. Sometimes beginning researchers mistakenly record the latest year printed on the copyright page even if it is a reprint, translation, or copyright renewal.
Take note of edition, publisher, and other title page information before selecting which date is relevant to the specific book in front of you. Now flip the book over and look again at the author, title, contributor roles, edition, publisher, and publication date. Are these details the same as the physical book? If so, you are now ready to create a solid bibliographic entry.
