[OS X TeX] Are two bib files needed to get correct issue numbers?

[Adam R. Maxwell]

On May 12, 2006, at 01:50, Matthew Inglis wrote:

> I often have to prepare documents using either the APA citation  
> style or, for example, the Harvard style. This causes a big problem  
> regarding issue numbers:
>
> The APA style demands that issue numbers are not included at all  
> unless each and every issue of the journal begins at page 1.  
> Consequently if you include an issue number in your bib file the  
> apacite package assumes the journal numbers each issue from p.1 and  
> includes the issue number. Most other styles (including Harvard),  
> however, demand that issue numbers are always included.
>
> The only way I can find to satisfy these requirements is to  
> maintain two different bib files, one that only includes issue  
> numbers for those articles in journals which begin each issue at  
> page 1, and one bib file with all issue numbers included. This is  
> obviously annoying, and it seems to me that the format of bib files  
> should be independent of citation style.
>
> Has anyone else encountered this, or a similar, issue? And is there  
> some kind of obvious automated solution that I've overlooked (I'm  
> using bibdesk)?

I've never heard of that requirement, but it sounds pretty awful.  My  
suggestion would just be to hack the bib style so it removes all  
issue numbers, rather than go crazy trying to keep track of journals  
in that way (if it's acceptable to have no issue numbers).  Other  
than that, BibTeX has no way of knowing which journals would require  
an issue number.

Adam
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