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From: wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: referencing material off the net. - (nf)
Message-ID: <429@pyuxa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Dec-83 08:58:26 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxa.429
Posted: Fri Dec  9 08:58:26 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Dec-83 22:34:19 EST
References: <173@whuxle.UUCP>, <607@ihuxx.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Piscataway
Lines: 16

In my day, references had to be verifiable.  That is, if I used
a conversation as a reference, the prof should have been able to
check with that person to verify the conversation.  The checking
should not have been difficult either.  Look to recent events of
reporters making up references that could not be verified.  There
have been several scandals in this area.  Referencing the net could
prove to be a problem in that articles tend to be dropped after
a week or so and there would be no way for a prof to check, even
is he has access to the net.  You are better off footnoting a
conversation with someone who can be reached easily.  A great
deal of fraud has been committed in the writing of papers and
articles because references were not verifiable and the checker
just let it go.

		T. C. Wheeler