A Rationale of Trans-inclusive Bibliography

Abstract

This article posits a framework for the principles and practices of trans-inclusive bibliography, describing its necessity and challenges, considering historical analogues, and offering solutions for trans-inclusive bibliography in digital contexts. Proper names are the primary way that a person is credited with their scholarly labor, yet using names raises ethical issues. Trans-inclusive bibliography shares many of the same ethical concerns and strategies as trans-inclusive citation practices, but differs in terms of scale and stakes. Given that exhaustive enumerative bibliographies are often used to create individual works cited lists, their choices and practices can reverberate through an entire academic field. This article centers on enumerative bibliography, particularly the challenges and potential solutions for the World Shakespeare Bibliography. Trans-inclusive bibliography requires accepting bibliography's flexibility and contingency, relinquishing comforting myths about the stability of the historical record. We outline the ethical core of trans-inclusive bibliography and offer practicable scholarly habits to implement it.