sources must remain verifiable.
Reference rules should connect claims to identifiable sources and make scientific reasoning traceable.
rethinking how
scientific standards
are developed.
An open research initiative investigating how citation can become more consistent, transparent and internationally interoperable.
Developed for the German-speaking academic community. Designed for international research.
explore the GMS approach
01 / PROJECT INTRODUCTION
a research project.
a research project.
a shared question.
Can scientific citation rules be evaluated, combined and improved through transparent research rather than inherited by convention alone?
The German Manual of Style (GMS) is an independently initiated project exploring this question. Its first focus is the German Citation Style (GCS): a proposed modular citation framework built around shared principles, three citation modes and an independent annotation system.
The initiative begins in the German-speaking academic context of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. It aims for international usability—but scientific validity, practical value and institutional acceptance remain questions to investigate.
02 / THE SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGEdifferent traditions.
different traditions.
shared scientific needs.
Established citation systems offer valuable solutions. GMS examines their differences without assuming that a new standard must be superior.
RESEARCH / STRUCTURE / SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONrequirements vary across contexts.
Disciplines, institutions and publishers use different practices. Their practical implications require systematic comparison.
digital tools need reliable structures.
Reference data, citation formatting and validation must interact consistently across software environments.
03 / GMS APPROACHone framework.
one framework.
three citation modes.
GCS is the first planned specialist module of GMS. The proposed design separates the scientific reference logic from its visible citation form.
follow development01
author–year
Author and publication year placed directly in the text.
(Müller 2024)02
footnotes
Source references integrated into a note-based system.
text¹03
numeric
Numbered references for technical and scientific contexts.
[1]AN INDEPENDENT ANNOTATION LAYER
notes without citation-mode constraints.
Explanations, methodological remarks and supplementary observations can be distinguished from bibliographic source references across all three modes.
04 / RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
evidence before adoption.
A staged research programme informs the first GCS design. The MBA thesis investigates requirements and barriers, rather than guaranteeing formal recognition.
understand the field.
Study citation history, scientific reference functions and existing standards, including APA, Chicago, IEEE, MLA and ISO 690.
compare strengths and limitations.
Develop transparent assessment criteria for consistency, traceability, usability, complexity and digital interoperability.
investigate needs and acceptance.
Use questionnaires and expert interviews to examine scientific practice and institutional adoption barriers within the DACH research context.
publish the reasoning.
Document decisions, uncertainty, alternative approaches and publicly shareable outcomes in a versioned research journal.
05 / EXPECTED SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION
the value of an open standard.
GMS aims to contribute a scientific method of standard development—not simply another prescribed citation format.
Potential contributions include a clearly reasoned rule architecture, open technical specifications, free citation tools and transparent evidence about where standardization helps or creates trade-offs. These outcomes depend on future research and review.
01open specification
Rules available for inspection and reuse.
02independent evaluation
Findings open to critical scrutiny.
03practical adoption
Low-barrier use by research and education.
06 / OPEN RESEARCH & COLLABORATIONmany perspectives.
many perspectives.
one open process.
GMS invites expertise, critique and practical experience. Contributions inform research; they do not replace methodological evaluation or expert review.
universities & academic institutions
Contribute institutional requirements, teaching experience and perspectives on possible pilot adoption.
researchers & citation experts
Provide critical feedback on citation rules, scientific publishing and normative development.
students & academic community
Share experiences of citation tasks and, where appropriate, join clearly defined research activities.
developers & technology partners
Examine metadata, software integration and interoperable citation workflows.
07 / RESEARCH STATUS & TRANSPARENCYwork in progress.
work in progress.
open by design.
The current project stage documents the initiative and its research preparation. A completed GCS standard, empirical evaluation or institutional recognition is not yet claimed.
CURRENT PROJECT VERSIONv0.1
Foundation & preparation
NEXT DEVELOPMENT TARGETv0.2
MBA research exposé
RESEARCH STATEin progress
Evaluation is being planned
08 / OPEN INVITATION / SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
your perspective can contribute to better scientific standards.
Whether you teach, study, publish, research or develop academic software, critical ideas and practical expertise are welcome. Help shape the questions, challenge the assumptions and follow what the project learns.