THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ON THEORY AND PRACTICE OF LIBRARIANSHIP
eISSN 2217-5563 ISSN (Print) 2217-5555
 





Ćirilica Latinica English
 


Sava Vojnović
ORCID 0000-0002-4425-020X
University of Belgrade
Faculty of Law
sava.vojnovich@ius.bg.ac.rs

doi: 10.5937/cit2648036V
Br. 48 (May 2026), No. 36-39


The Year of Forty Five, Birth of the Brave New World, or What One Can See in Bibliographical Data


Abstract

The essay examines the purpose and significance of bibliography in academic work, starting from the premise that knowledge is essentially a collective rather than an individual phenomenon. The author seeks to demonstrate that familiarity with existing literature and engagement in dialogue with prior contributions constitute a necessarycondition for credible research. From an epistemological perspective, the essay emphasizes the holistic nature of knowledge and the interdependence of beliefs within a broader network, while from a sociological standpoint it highlights the role of epistemic authorities. A hermeneutic approach points to the historical conditionedness of understanding and the inevitability of dialogue with tradition and existing discourses. At the same time, the ethical dimension of the essay underscores the importance of avoiding plagiarism and acknowledging others’ contributions as a foundation of academic integrity. The author further illustrates the argument through an analogy with the natural sciences and the concept of a paradigm, showing that progress is possible only within already established theoretical frameworks. The essay concludes that bibliography is not a mere formality, but a methodological and normative requirement that enables responsible participation in academic discourse and contributes to the advancement of knowledge.


Keywords:

bibliography, knowledge, social epistemology, hermeneutics, academic integrity


Submitted: 17th February 2026.
Correction to the manuscript: 19th April 2026.
Accepted for publication: 22th April 2026.

Creative Commons License
The Year of Forty Five, Birth of the Brave New World, or What One Can See in Bibliographical Data by Sava Vojnović is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


Full text