[WikiEN-l] The boundaries of OR

[MacGyverMagic/Mgm]

OR is when you go out and test the evidence yourself. Finding sources to
corroborate a point is called research, not original research.

Mgm


On 12/17/06, zero 0000 <nought_0000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Here is a scenario that explores the boundaries of
> what counts as Original Reseach.  Suppose there is
> a legal issue about which there are two popular
> opinions, say A and B.
>
> Now I log into a well-known depository of legal
> journals and search for this issue.  I get about 20 hits.
> Then I look at each of these hits (articles published
> in peer-reviewed law journals) and in all cases the
> writer gives opinion A.
>
> Ok, so now I am itching to write in Wikipedia
> something like: "The consensus amongst legal
> scholars is that opinion A is correct"  (or similar),
> with a footnote stating the evidence.
>
> Can I do that?  My sources were the best that exist,
> and everything I did can be verified easily by anyone
> with a good library.  On the other hand, I have drawn
> my own conclusions from these observations so
> maybe I'm afoul of the No Original Research policy.
>
> I tend to think it's ok because the conclusions I drew
> were the same as any reasonable person would draw,
> and these conclusions don't require any private
> information.  I admit it is a boundary case though.
> What do you think?
>
> --Zero.
>
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