[32] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Citations to PACS-L Messages
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Mon Apr 20 10:11:14 1992
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1992 09:06:42 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.MIT.EDU>
2 Messages, 60 Lines
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From: MJENSEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU (Mary Brandt Jensen)
Subject: RE: Citations to PACS-L Messages
I have cited PACS-L numerous times in the law review article I am about
to submit to the American Association of Law Libraries Call for Papers
competition. I hope that it will be published in the not too distant
future. If not, and hopefully in addition to print publication, I intend
to publish it through at least one anonymous ftp site.
Mary Brandt Jensen University of South Dakota
Director of the Law Library School of Law
Associate Professor of Law 414 E. Clark St.
MJENSEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
(605) 677 6363 Fax (605) 677 5417
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From: Ken Laws <LAWS@ai.sri.com>
Subject: Re: Citations to PACS-L Messages
Concerning citations of electronic discussions:
I publish a career newsletter for AI/IS/CS researchers. Since I
focus on "news," the time-frames of concern tend to be much shorter
for me than for librarians. When I cite news from the net, the
most important descriptors are the net address or phone number for
tracking down further information. The author's company is secondary;
then comes city or location, and then -- in typical cases -- the
author or contact's name. In this respect, my citation forms are
much like those in press releases.
As a journalist, I also feel it important to list the information's
author and the channel and date of publication. These can be very
brief, for several reasons: 1) In a real-time environment, the best
way to get further info is to contact the author or to ask other
members of the same list. 2) In an archived environment, keyword
search (often by the list moderator) will turn up the original
message. An approximate date and the author's name are sufficient
to narrow the search. 3) For information from magazines and
newspapers, my newsletter readers can contact me directly for
a full citation. Chances are that I'll still have the source
lying around for a couple of weeks. I may be able to respond in
much greater detail than I could have published in the newsletter.
4) In a newsletter, every character is precious. Lengthy citations
are more of an annoyance than a help. Readers would often rather
have no citations at all.
My typical citation is something like [Ken Laws (laws@ai.sri.com),
PACS-L, 4/17.] I would add the name of a forwarder if someone
had brought the material to my attention, or if I had gotten the
material from a news wire.
Writing teachers say "Know your audience." This also hold for
citations. If you know who wants the citations and why, you
will find it easier to decide what information to include.
-- Ken
