correctly citing authors whose surname has a prefix

[Caroline]

I would like to know the correct formula here on GoodReads for citing the family name (surname) of an author whose name has a prefix.

It is standard practice when citing such names to cite it prefix first. That is, in the case of Charles de Lint:

de Lint, Charles

This is because his family name is not 'Lint' but 'de Lint'. The prefix 'de' is not treated as if it were a middle name. This is the case when citing in bibliographies, academic papers, libraries, and so on.

I'm not sure if GoodReads simply has a different policy with regard to citing names, or if those entering it were unaware of the convention or of the fact that the author's family name is not 'Lint'.

[Paula]

It is a limitation of GR database

There are a number of threads regarding similar issues

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Scott]

Now that we have a sort name function, Charles de Lint's name is still showing incorrectly. I can't edit it because he is a GR author. (Could have sworn it was correct for a while.)

[lethe]

Caroline wrote: "It is standard practice when citing such names to cite it prefix first."

That may be true in English, but definitely not in all languages. Dutch last names, f.e., are cited prefix last, and it would be incorrect to do it differently.

[lethe]

It can generally be said that if the prefix is capitalized, it should be sorted on that, and if it is written in lower case, it should come last. I've always been bemused that Charles de Lint was an exception to that rule. Maybe he isn't an exception and he has corrected it himself? ;-)

[lethe]

... Ah, I see he was actually born in the Netherlands! I didn't know that. Well, according to Dutch rules, it should be 'Lint, Charles de'.