the basic problem is, the same word (honours/honors) is used to describe different beasts.......hence the confusion......perhaps some kind of revamp of the system is needed........

the equivalent scenario is that of the title 'doctor'.........it's use means different things in different situations.......while ordinarily it would mean a doctor of medicine, those with doctorates also carries the title doctor.......and to add to the confusion, in some countries (msia included) dentists and vets are also called doctors......(nb, dentists are NOT addressed as dr. in uk)....

the americans addressed this situation simple by adding the acronym 'MD' at the end of their name, immediately differentiating the medical doctors from the others......

is there a guideline in academia about the use of the designation 'dr' with regards to honorary doctorates?........