Robert Hauptman. Documentation: A History and Critique of Attribution, Commentary, Glosses, Marginalia, Notes, Bibliographies, Works-Cited Lists, and Citation Indexing and Analysis. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2008. 240p. alk. paper, $35 (ISBN 9780786433339). LC2008-07099.

Documentation is often taken for granted among scholars; we all use various forms of it in our work, yet we rarely stop to consider the history of such seemingly mundane items as footnotes or annotations. Modern scholars often think of documentation primarily as a way to cite a reference or acknowledge an influential person. As Hauptman relates in this fascinating volume, there’s far more to the history and evolution of documentation than you might imagine. As the subtitle implies, Hauptman’s study covers a lot of territory. He begins his narrative by identifying six purposes for documentation: providing acknowledgment, giving attribution, tracing sources, validating work through notation, "protection against accusations of misconduct," and adding substantive, if sometimes tangential, commentary. He wraps up his introductory sections with a brief chapter on the development of documentation, beginning in antiquity with the oral tradition of acknowledging a predecessor and ending with some observations about modern use of APA and MLA citation styles. Hauptman then delves into several substantial chapters on commentary, marginalia, illustration, and footnotes. He examines how documentation styles and purposes vary in such diverse fields as biblical scholarship, legal scholarship, and the sciences. After noting that scientific papers can be brief and to the point, he gives examples of lengthy footnotes by legal scholars, noting that "Science requires data; the law sometimes obfuscates with verbosity." Such contrasts, with accompanying succinct commentary, fill the pages of this book. Erudition goes hand in hand with mirth, making this an extremely enjoyable work to read.

Hauptman spends some time examining the early development of the footnote, citing examples from Pierre Bayle and Edward Gibbon, writers he ranks among "the great footnoters." He illustrates his points with page facsimiles from Bayle’s 1734 work, A General Dictionary, Historical and Critical, and includes a lively discussion on Gibbon’s placement of notes in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire that provides insight into the development of the footnote form. Gibbon initially placed his "witty and sardonic" annotations at the end of the text, comments so critical of their sources that "they offer a parallel but divergent history of Rome." David Hume complained about the notes’ placement, and Gibbon responded by placing his comments at the bottom of the page. In a fine example of how well Hauptman cites and acknowledges other sources, he punctuates his discussion of Gibbon with a quote from Chuck Zerby’s history of footnotes: "Someone once said that notes ran along the bottom of Gibbon’s pages like dogs yapping at the text."

Hauptman’s narrative, while part historical analysis, is also concerned with modern usage. He includes a chapter on the development of modern citation styles such as the Chicago Manual of Style, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. He also delves into how scientific notations and legal citations are used. He describes what he sees as the strengths, weaknesses, and oddities in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, adding some interesting comments on problems inherent with documenting Internet sources. In just under twenty pages, Hauptman provides context, meaning, and analysis for the citation styles most librarians and scholars use every day. For those who have struggled with teaching undergraduate students the intricacies of citation style, Hauptman’s comment that, after 20 years as an editor, "some authors, even those whose credentials and publication records would seem to imply an absolute mastery of this simple necessity, are incapable of getting things just right" provides some contextual awareness. He expands on this in a chapter entitled "Errors," describing how mistakes in citations, while not uncommon in the pre-Internet age, have become more complex and widespread in the age of Wikipedia and the Web.

While errors are one problem that can plague proper documentation, Hauptman also deals with more egregious acts such as plagiarism and falsehood in a chapter entitled "Misconduct," where he discusses a number of famous cases in the past and present. He even includes an endnote discussing Bob Dylan’s use of Civil War poet Henry Timrod’s verse in the lyrics on Dylan’s 2006 CD Modern Times. Since Dylan didn’t acknowledge Timrod, is it plagiarism? Or the folk process at work? Sifting through such allusions is part of what makes this book so entertaining and enlightening. The book’s final chapter is a brief examination of citation analysis and citation indexing. And while it’s not common to note these in a book review, it bears mentioning that the book includes endnotes, a 14-page bibliography, and an extensive index.

Documentation is a delightful book, a learned journey through the methods authors and editors have used to add context, meaning, credibility, authority, and personal insight to scholarship throughout the ages, all peppered with Hauptman’s dry wit. The result is a fine text that’s both educational and entertaining.—Gene Hyde, Radford University.