TMA as serious academic source

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Littlestone L
Littlestone Mar 29, 2007 20:38:37
Replying to fitzcoraldo

Typical that the paper quotes Chris as, Chris Collyer, and Hob in inverted commas as 'Hob' - as if using a pseudonym is not quite 'acceptable'. Same sort of academic snobbery exists on Britarch where anyone wishing to post anonymously is consider somehow outside the accepted order of things. TMA, and similar forums, are a font of information, knowledge and experience; why else would people from the 'academic' community be 'lurking' in the background ;-)

C Cursuswalker
Cursuswalker Mar 29, 2007 21:09:59
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
why else would people from the 'academic' community be 'lurking' in the background ;-)
I think we should start a "Hug An Academic" campaign. Encourage them top come out of the woodwork and say hi.

Or does that just make me come across as a Reference-Tart?

R Rhiannon
Rhiannon Mar 30, 2007 07:33:15
Replying to Littlestone

Surely though, it's not really 'acceptable' in a serious bit of research. Because you should be able to look up the references given, and decide for yourself whether they're believable or reputable. You (potentially) can't do that if the person you're quoting is using a pseudonym, because you won't be able to track them down. I don't know why people use pseudonyms on tma, but whyever they do it, it is of course acceptable within this kind of setting. But if their opinions are being quoted in a paper that's trying to set out The Facts, then personally I would want to have their real names. That's not so weird, is it? Otherwise you might as well say "a little bird told me" and invent all sorts of stuff that backs up your claims, citing (Little Bird, 2002).