How can I record which edition or version a page reference belongs to?

Treat the page number as a locator that belongs to a particular source record, not as a complete reference on its own. For each source, note the author or creator, title, edition or version identifier, publisher or site if shown, publication or release date if shown, and format—for example, print, PDF, or ebook. Then attach your page reference to that record.

A practical entry might look like this: “Creator: [name]; Title: [title]; Edition/version: [label shown]; Publisher: [name, if shown]; Date: [date shown]; Format: [print, PDF, or ebook]; Locator: p. [number].” These are placeholders, not details to fill in by guessing. If you do not see an edition, write “edition not stated.” If you use several copies, give each copy a short label, such as “print copy” or “PDF file,” and use that same label in your notes.

Record the labels the source actually provides. If it states an edition and a printing or impression, include both when you can. Avoid substituting one label for the other. If no printing information is shown, leave it out or mark it “not stated.”

For an ebook, record its edition or version label if available and identify the format or file you consulted. If it has stable page numbers, write the page locator as displayed. If it uses locations, sections, or chapter headings instead, record that locator rather than inventing a page number. A reusable note could be: “Creator: [name]; Title: [title]; Edition/version: [as shown]; Date: [as shown]; Format/copy: [print, PDF, ebook, or other]; Locator: [page, section, or location].”

Capture the identifying details visible when you consult it: the page or document title, creator or organization if shown, any displayed publication or revision date, and the section heading or other locator you used. Add the date you accessed it. If the page shows a version number, include it exactly as displayed; if it shows no version or date, say so rather than supplying one yourself.

For example: “Organization: [name]; Document: [title]; Version/date displayed: [label or ‘not shown’]; Accessed: [date]; Locator: [heading or section].” If you save a copy for your own reference, note that your page number refers to that saved copy and identify it with a simple label, such as “[saved PDF, filename or local label].” An access date records when you consulted the page; it does not prove that the online content stayed unchanged afterward.

Use one source record, then point your individual notes back to it. For example:

“Source ID: S-04 Creator: [creator or organization] Title: [exact title] Edition/version: [exact label, or ‘not stated’] Publication/revision date: [date shown, or ‘not shown’] Publisher/site: [name, if shown] Format/copy consulted: [print / PDF / ebook / webpage / other] Accessed: [date, for online material] Locator: [page number, section heading, chapter, or location]”

A note using it could read: “S-04, p. [number] — [brief point].” For a changing online page, use its heading or section and access date instead of forcing a page number. Keep the source ID with copied excerpts and quotations too, so the identifying details do not get separated from the material. Before sharing a reference, check that its locator matches the particular version named in the record.