I used the following macro for typsetting literature references in footnotes. It worked without problems until now, but then I didn't use the bib module for some time. It looks like a problem has crept in with the <inproceedings> type. the macro setup: \usepublications [literature] \setuppublications [alternative=apa] \setuppublications [numbering=short,refcommand=data] \setuppublicationlist [% editor=\normalauthor,% author=\normalauthor,% artauthor=\normalauthor] \setuppublicationlist[firstnamesep={ },surnamesep={}] \def\bibentry#1{\bibentrypar \doifemptyelse{#1}{\def\bibentryspace{}}{\def\bibentryspace{\ }}% \cite[data][#1]\strut} \def\footnotecite{\dodoubleargument\dofootnotecite} \def\dofootnotecite[#1][#2]{% \def\bibentrypar{\def\bibentrypar{\par}}% \unskip\footnote{\processcommalist[#1]\bibentry \doifnotempty{#2}{\bibentryspace#2\strut\par}} } It fails for the following entry: \startpublication[k=campbell:92,t=inproceedings, a={{Campbell},{Wiener}},y=1992, n=54,s=CW92] \author[]{K.~W.}[K.~W.]{}{Campbell} \author[]{M.~J.}[M.~J.]{}{Wiener} \pubyear{1992} \arttitle{{DES is not a group}} \crossref{crypto92} \pages{512--517} \pubname{Springer-Verlag} \stoppublication But it works ok when <inproceedings> is replaced by <book>. The error message: <to be read again> \pbd: \bibgetvart #1->\csname pbd:#1\endcsname \plussix \bibalternative ... \??pv \@@currentalternative #1 \endcsname \dotypesetapublication ...ative {\bibgetvart {#1}} \removeunwantedspaces \egr... \next3 #1,->\dobibdata {#1} \doprocesscommaitem \doprocesscommalist ...item \gobbleoneargument #1, ]\relax \global \advance \... ... l.34 \par Hans van der Meer