Abstract:

There were already many studies on the norms of citation description in ancient andcontemporary China, but few scholars noticed the evolution of the norms of citation description in modernChina. By using the method of historical research, this paper reviews the westernization process of thenorms of citation description in the period of the Republic of China from four research perspectives: theconsciousness of citation description, the elements of citation description, the type setting of referencesand the annotation of citations. It holds that the experience of westernization still has enlightenmentand significance for the present, especially in terms of nurturing international vision, keeping the localtradition, and adhering to the goal of standardization.

Key words: Norms of citation description, Citation norms, Westernization, Reference, Academic norms