Page numbering

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Page number in a book Page number.jpg
Page number in a book

Page numbering is the process of applying a sequence of numbers (or letters, or Roman numerals) to the pages of a book or other document. The number itself, which may appear in various places on the page, can be referred to as a page number or as a folio . [1] Like other numbering schemes such as chapter numbering, page numbers allow the citation of a particular page of the numbered document and facilitates to the reader to find specific parts of the document and to know the size of the complete text (by checking the number of the last page).

Contents

Numbering conventions

Even numbers usually appear on verso (left-hand) pages, while odd numbers appear on recto (right-hand) pages. In the printing industry, in cases where odd numbers appear on verso pages and even numbers on recto pages, this is referred to as non-traditional folios (in the past, it had been referred to as Chinese folios, however this term has fallen out of favor in recent years).[ citation needed ]

In books, some pages, known as blind folios, [1] of the front matter and back matter are numbered but the numbers are not printed. Publishers are not consistent about how they number the pages of their books. Some publishers stick with the default numbering of the tool they are using, which is typically to number the first page of the front matter as 1 and all pages after that in a consecutive order. When publishers wish to distinguish between the front matter and the body, the initial title pages are blind folios, the front matter is numbered using lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii...) and the first page of the body or main content begins with 1. The title page of the body, if present, is a blind folio; similarly, any section title pages (e.g., when the body is broken into multiple parts), are blind folios. The first page of chapter one would then be numbered as page 3.

The sixteenth edition of the Chicago Manual of Style [1] calls for the beginning of the text to begin with the Arabic number 1, while the front matter that precedes it is to be numbered with lower-case Roman numerals. If the front matter is extensive and a second half-title page is included, it is to be numbered as page 1 and its verso as page 2. If a part title is included, it is to be included in the same numbering as the text. Page numbers do not appear on part titles.

Most citation systems call for the identification of the page number from which a quote or point is drawn. For example, such usage is specified in their citation formats of both the Chicago Manual of Style , [2] and The Bluebook . [3]

Numbering by chapter

Guidelines for technical manuals, especially loose bound manuals expected to be updated, often recommend numbering pages by chapter. When numbering by chapter, page "3-2" is the second page of chapter 3, page "A-3" is the third page of Appendix A. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Larger newspapers have page "numbers" that begin with a letter -- page "B3" is the third page of the second section. [9]

Unique numbering schemes

In the book Humble Pi by mathematics communicator and YouTuber Matt Parker, the book uses a page numbering scheme where the pages count backwards from 314 to 0, referencing the approximation of 3.14 for the mathematical constant pi (π). [10]

Electronic documents

E-books and other electronic documents published in a non-reflowable format such as PDF are normally paginated and numbered in the same way as their printed counterparts.

While reading devices for reflowable documents such as EPUB e-books may display page numbers, these numbers change from device to device depending on factors such as the size of the display and the selected font size. This makes them unsuitable for citation purposes. To remedy this problem, Amazon Kindle e-books contain what are called "location numbers", that is, numbers in the margin of the electronic text that indicate where the corresponding page begins in the printed version of the book. [11]

Manuscripts

In codicology, each physical sheet (folium, abbreviated fol. or f.) of a manuscript is numbered and the sides are referred to as folium rectum and folium versum , abbreviated as r and v respectively. This results in designations like 5r (the front side of the fifth sheet) and 8v (the back side of the eighth sheet).

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Aberdeen Bestiary is a 12th-century English illuminated manuscript bestiary that was first listed in 1542 in the inventory of the Old Royal Library at the Palace of Westminster. Due to similarities, it is often considered to be the "sister" manuscript of the Ashmole Bestiary. The connection between the ancient Greek didactic text Physiologus and similar bestiary manuscripts is also often noted. Information about the manuscript's origins and patrons are circumstantial, although the manuscript most likely originated from the 13th century and was owned by a wealthy ecclesiastical patron from north or south England. Currently, the Aberdeen Bestiary resides in the Aberdeen University Library in Scotland.

<i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i> Academic style guide by University of Chicago Press

The Chicago Manual of Style is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. Its 17 editions have prescribed writing and citation styles widely used in publishing. It is "one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Kells</span> 8th-century illuminated manuscript Gospel book, held in Trinity College, Dublin

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table of contents</span> Ordered list of the parts of a written work

A table of contents, usually headed simply Contents and abbreviated informally as TOC, is a list, usually found on a page before the start of a written work, of its chapter or section titles or brief descriptions with their commencing page numbers.

<i>Bluebook</i> Style guide on legal citation

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. It is taught and used at a majority of U.S. law schools and is also used in a majority of federal courts. Legal publishers also use several "house" citation styles in their works. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. Currently, it is in its 21st edition. Its name derives from the cover's color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recto and verso</span> "front" and "back" sides of a leaf of paper

Recto is the "right" or "front" side and verso is the "left" or "back" side when text is written or printed on a leaf of paper in a bound item such as a codex, book, broadsheet, or pamphlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Page header</span> Text that is separated from the body text and appears at the top of a page

In typography and word processing, a page header is text that is separated from the body text and appears at the top of a printed page. Word-processing programs usually allow for the configuration of page headers, which are typically identical throughout a work except in aspects such as page numbers.

A citation from the Bible is usually referenced with the book name, chapter number and verse number. Sometimes, the name of the Bible translation is also included. There are several formats for doing so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codex Mendoza</span> Aztec manuscript

The Codex Mendoza is an Aztec codex, believed to have been created around the year 1541. It contains a history of both the Aztec rulers and their conquests as well as a description of the daily life of pre-conquest Aztec society. The codex is written using traditional Aztec pictograms with a translation and explanation of the text provided in Spanish. It is named after Don Antonio de Mendoza (1495-1552), the viceroy of New Spain, who supervised its creation and who was a leading patron of native artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Page (paper)</span> One side (or both sides) of material used in documents or illustrative works

A page is one side of a leaf of paper, parchment or other material in a book, magazine, newspaper, or other collection of sheets, on which text or illustrations can be printed, written or drawn, to create documents. It can be used as a measure of communicating general quantity of information or more specific quantity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book design</span> Styling, formatting and designing the layout of a books contents

Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components and elements of a book into a coherent unit. In the words of renowned typographer Jan Tschichold (1902–1974), book design, "though largely forgotten today, [relies upon] methods and rules upon which it is impossible to improve, [and which] have been developed over centuries. To produce perfect books, these rules have to be brought back to life and applied". Richard Hendel describes book design as "an arcane subject", and refers to the need for a context to understand what that means.

Citation of United Kingdom legislation includes the systems used for legislation passed by devolved parliaments and assemblies, for secondary legislation, and for prerogative instruments. It is relatively complex both due to the different sources of legislation in the United Kingdom, and because of the different histories of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folio</span> Technical term describing the format or size of a book

The term "folio", has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book made in this way; second, it is a general term for a sheet, leaf or page in (especially) manuscripts and old books; and third, it is an approximate term for the size of a book, and for a book of this size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intentionally blank page</span> Page that is devoid of content and may be unexpected

An intentionally blank page or vacat page is a page that has no content and may be unexpected. Such pages may serve purposes ranging from place-holding to space-filling and content separation. Sometimes, these pages carry a notice such as "This page intentionally left blank." Such notices typically appear in printed works, such as legal documents, manuals, and exam papers, in which the reader might otherwise suspect that the blank pages are due to a printing error and where missing pages might have serious consequences.

Indicia is the plural of the Latin word indicium, meaning distinguishing marks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bookbinding</span> Process of assembling a book

Bookbinding is the process of building a book of codex manuscripts from an ordered stack of paper sheets with one's hands and tools. Firstly, one binds the sheets of papers along an edge with a thick needle and strong thread. One can also use loose-leaf rings, binding posts, twin-loop spine coils, plastic spiral coils, and plastic spine combs, but they last for a shorter time. Next, one encloses the bound stack of paper in a cover. Finally, one places an attractive cover onto the boards, and features the publisher's information and artistic decorations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minuscule 536</span> New Testament manuscript

Minuscule 536, δ 264, is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th century. Scrivener labeled it by number 549. Several pages of the manuscript were lost. There are incomplete marginalia. The manuscript is available in a digital form on the internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lectionary 226</span> New Testament manuscript

Lectionary 226, designated by siglum 226 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 14th century. F. H. A. Scrivener labelled it by 249evl. Some leaves of the manuscript were lost, and some leaves have survived in a fragmentary condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of books</span> Overview of and topical guide to books

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to books:

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Chicago Manual of Style, Sixteenth Edition (2003), pp. 32–33.
  2. The Chicago Manual of Style, Sixteenth Edition (2003), pp. 596, 598.
  3. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, Seventeenth Edition (2000), pp. 34–36.
  4. "TeX FAQ: Page numbering by chapter".
  5. American Water Works Association. "Author Guidelines"
  6. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "Preparation of Water Control Manuals".
  7. Jan von Delft. "Teaching with Electronic Chalk". quote: "number pages by chapter".
  8. "Instructional System Design Methodology". quote: 'Number pages by chapter, such as "1-1, 1-2, 1-3", etc.'
  9. "I am citing a newspaper article. What should I put for page number?".
  10. Bultheel, Adhemar (2019-08-22). "Humble Pi". European Mathematical Society. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  11. Pogue, David (2011-02-08). "Page Numbers for Kindle Books an Imperfect Solution". The New York Times, "Pogue's Post" blog. Retrieved 2011-07-09.