Sorting and the definate article

tipichris
Hi

I'm trying to create a style sheet for the University of Birmingham's recommended Harvard style (https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/icite/referencing/harvard/index.aspx).

A number of entries (eg UK statute, film and broadcasts and anonymous works) should be listed by title rather than author. I have adapted by 'author' macro to achieve this and my primary sort key for the bibliography is <key macro="author"/>.

Which all works fine except that the definite (and presumably indefinite - I haven't tested) articles are not ignored in sorting. For example "The Coventry blitz 'conspiracy'" is sorted as T, not as C.

Is there any way to persuade to ignore the 'the' and sort only on the main part of the title?
  • adamsmith
    no, that's not possible currently.
  • RintzeRintze
    One workaround would be to change the title from
    "The Coventry blitz 'conspiracy'"
    to
    "Coventry blitz 'conspiracy', The"

    Not sure whether that cure is worse than the disease, though.
  • tipichris
    Unfortunately, whilst that might work in the bibliography it would make the citation rather ugly :(
  • adamsmith
    I think the idea is to treat "The" as if it were a first name. In that case the citation would be
    (Coventry blitz 'conspiracy', 1990)
    and the Bibliography
    Coventry blitz 'conspiracy', The. 1990. ....
  • tipichris
    Adam

    I may be missing something, but in order to do that would I not have to place the title in the author field? Which in turn would mean when I come to use a different style, one that uses 'Anon.' instead of substituting the title, things wouldn't work.
  • adamsmith
    you're right, sorry.
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