Have you ever heard of the EPUB format? Until now, this e-book format has been used primarily in the field of fiction, while the academic world has generally relied on e-books in the static PDF format. Now, however, the EPUB format is gaining importance in academia as well, thanks to its accessibility. It is characterized by its high adaptability to a range of usage scenarios and reading habits: For example, you can adjust the font size and type to suit your needs (e.g., different screen sizes).
In the future, you’ll also find more e-books in the EPUB format in our collection. If you own an e-book reader that supports the EPUB format, you can read the e-books on it. If you prefer to read directly on a computer or tablet: Various programs and browser extensions make this conveniently possible.
However, the format’s dynamic customization options also affect citation practices and present new challenges for academic work. With the EPUB format, it is not (easily) possible to cite specific pages. Alternatives include chapter or percentage references, even though they do not allow for precise citations like page numbers in static publications:
- Chapter or section numbers (e.g., chapter 2, paragraph 8; Chapter 4, paragraph 2)
- Abbreviated versions of chapter or section headings
- Percentages or page locations (e.g., 45%, 1654 loc on Kindle readers)
- Short citation in the text (Jaillant, 2025, Chapter 7-3)
- Short citation in a footnote (Jaillant, Lise: Women poets, male publishers (Macmillan Publishers 2025), chap. 7-3, EPUB)
Additionally, the bibliography should note that the EPUB version, including the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), was used. This explains why a more precise citation was not possible.
Do you have questions about academic citation? Please contact the library’s training team (learnit@bibliothek.uni-halle.de). The library offers courses on many aspects of academic work and writing. You can find information about our training program here: https://bibliothek.uni-halle.de/schulen-beraten/veranstaltungen/