Bibliography sorting for "surnames" starting with lower case letters

[pdhall99]

The latest version, mnras.bst, incorrectly sorts the bibliography when one of the authors has a surname beginning with a lower case letter. See the attached pdf for an example with "Angulo et al.", "Zwicky" and "de Kool".

The older version, mn2e.bst, correctly sorts the references.

mnras_bst_test.pdf

mnras_bst_test.tex:

\documentclass[usenatbib]{mnras}

\title[Title]{Title}
\author[Author]{Author}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
\end{abstract}
\begin{keywords}
\end{keywords}

\section{Introduction}
\citet{1999NuPhA.656....3A}, \citet{1992A&A...261..188D}, \citet{1933AcHPh...6..110Z}.

\bibliographystyle{mnras}
\bibliography{mnras_bst_test}

\end{document}

mnras_bst_test.bib:

@ARTICLE{1999NuPhA.656....3A,
   author = {{Angulo}, C. and {Arnould}, M. and {Rayet}, M. and {Descouvemont}, P. and {Baye}, D. and {Leclercq-Willain}, C. and {Coc}, A. and {Barhoumi}, S. and {Aguer}, P. and {Rolfs}, C. and {Kunz}, R. and {Hammer}, J.~W. and {Mayer}, A. and {Paradellis}, T. and {Kossionides}, S. and {Chronidou}, C. and {Spyrou}, K. and {degl'Innocenti}, S. and {Fiorentini}, G. and {Ricci}, B. and {Zavatarelli}, S. and {Providencia}, C. and {Wolters}, H. and {Soares}, J. and {Grama}, C. and {Rahighi}, J. and {Shotter}, A. and {Lamehi Rachti}, M.},
    title = "{A compilation of charged-particle induced thermonuclear reaction rates}",
  journal = {\nphysa},
     year = 1999,
    month = aug,
   volume = 656,
    pages = {3-183},
      doi = {10.1016/S0375-9474(99)00030-5}
}

@ARTICLE{1992A&A...261..188D,
   author = {{de Kool}, M.},
    title = "{Statistics of cataclysmic variable formation}",
  journal = {\aap},
 keywords = {Cataclysmic Variables, Main Sequence Stars, Star Formation, White Dwarf Stars, Monte Carlo Method, Stellar Envelopes, Stellar Mass Accretion, Stellar Models, Stellar Orbits},
     year = 1992,
    month = jul,
   volume = 261,
    pages = {188-202}
}

@ARTICLE{1933AcHPh...6..110Z,
   author = {{Zwicky}, F.},
    title = "{Die Rotverschiebung von extragalaktischen Nebeln}",
  journal = {Helvetica Physica Acta},
     year = 1933,
   volume = 6,
    pages = {110-127}
}

[nxg]

The issue was also mentioned in this stackexchange post.

As comments there note, there's more than one typographical convention possible in this situation, and we might need to consult with OUP about what they believe is the Right Thing To Do here.

[nxg]

Thinking a little more about this...

The author instructions suggest that

The reference list should be in alphabetical order by surname. Spelling of author names and years must be consistent between the text and reference list. Prefixes such as de or van should be considered as part of the family name for alphabetical arrangement, and Mc should be alphabetized as if it were Mac.

That doesn't much help. It vaguely suggests only that sorting should be case-insensitive (which I don't think is the point at issue, and in any case is not disputed). Other points:

• Should 'de Beers' go before or after 'Dean'? Ie, does 'de Beers' sort as two words (so it comes first, since 'de' sorts before 'dean'), or as 'debeers', so second? Both conventions are common.
• In some systems, 'von Richthofen' is analysed as 'Richthofen' with a 'von' particle in front of it (in BibTeX terms), and alphabetised as 'Richthofen' (I think this is German practice); in others the surname is 'van den Oort', with no 'von' particle (I think this is eg Dutch, but wouldn't swear to it). The MN guidance seems to be expressing a no-national-variations preference for the latter.
• Assuming that it's clear where 'de Beers' should go in the list, should it be presented as 'de Beers' or 'De Beers' or 'Beers, de' (again, I believe all of these possibilities are 'correct').
• This also depends on the contents of the .bib file. If the file has @author = "M de Kool", then BibTeX will analyse that as a surname of Kool, and a ‘von part’ of 'de' and (if I recall correctly) alphabetise it with Kool; but if it's instead written as @author = "M {de Kool}" or @author = "{de Kool}, M", then it's a surname of de Kool, and alphabetise it with ‘d’. This allows the .bib file author to respect the national surname conventions, but the MN advice seems to suggest ignoring this distinction, which would be very hard to implement.

I just now realise that the original problem report doesn't actually say what precisely is deemed to be wrong about the current sorting.

(oh, and though 'Mc sorts as 'Mac' is common, I doubt the style does anything about that, and if it doesn't I really don't propose to do anything about that...!)

(the phrase ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ is bubbling around in my consciousness)

[kirxkirx]

Facing the same problem here - the authors with last names starting with lowercase "de ", "ten ", "van " are in the end of the reference list. Comparing with a published MNRAS paper I see that this is not how it is supposed to be. The published paper has the authors with lower case "de " next to the ones with surnames starting with upper case "D" , "ten " next to "T", "van " next to "V".

The problem is that the current version mnras.bst does not reflect the MNRAS house style in the regard of where the last names starting with lowercase letters are placed in the list of references. (Or at least it does not reflect how the MNRAS publisher interprets the MNRAS house style).

[kirxkirx]

I'm suggesting a fix in #18