[6536] in s-news-athena
RE: citing postings on this list
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Shipley)
Tue Feb 28 12:01:57 1995
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 11:38:25 -0500
To: S-news@utstat.toronto.edu
From: bshipley@courrier.usherb.ca (Bill Shipley)
However, one further problem is that if I wish to use a function that has
been posted, but not published in a more traditional way (journal or book),
the editor may well insist that I include an appendix that lists the code
for the function. If I do this, them mine will be the first *printed*
version of the function and others may begin citing my paper, even if I
acknowledge that I did not write the function.
There are at least two good reasons why editors may not accept a reference
to a discussion group. The first is that these discussion groups are not
eternal, and once one is shut down, its archives may well be erased. Books
persist even after the publishing house has closed down. The etherial nature
of cyberspace means that a "publication" to a discussion group is different
from a hardcopy.
A second reason is that these postings have not undergone a formal peer
review. There is no assurance that the theory behind a posted function is
correct.
I could include the original author of the function as a co-author but this
too raises some problems. If my paper concerns a biological topic, if I do
the entire statistical analysis, but simply use a function that was posted,
how could the original author of the function (who is likely a statistician
with no knowledge of the biological topic) take responsibility for its content?
Even if the editor allows me to cite the posting directly, now should this
be done. To simply state:
"Jones, M. Posting of Feb. 25 1995 on S_NEWS discussion group"
would be hopelessly vague.
Bill Shipley
Departement de Biologie
Universite de Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke (Quebec)
CANADA J1K 2R1
bshipley@courrier.USherb.ca
