@Edent I think your solution is creative. In graduate school (History) when digital was in its infancy, we used Turibian (sub-set of Chicago), and it had very precise rules (even including digital) for specifying editions and page numbers or date accessed. I was always surprised how other Humanities used MLA or some other guide because they were never as precise, and accountability and reproducibility are important. I have read science and math texts but never with a eye to footnotes (except for any that elaborated on the text) or citations because I wouldn't/couldn't attempt to verify or reproduce any of it. It does surprise me that science is so imprecise it's not required to specify where in a reference the author is referring. It's been decades since I needed to cite anything, and I didn't read the paper you're critiquing, but I probably agree with their objection and your conclusion. Which, if you add my 2 cents to a sawbuck will barely buy you a cup of coffee.