[WikiEN-l] The boundaries of OR (contd)

[Ray Saintonge]

Andrew Gray wrote:

>On 20/12/06, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>The key point here is that your source for the statement that all the
>>papers say the same thing isn't just the papers, it's the database. If
>>there is a way to reliable cite the database, rather than just the
>>sources it contains (a link to the search results page, perhaps), then
>>it might be ok, but just citing the papers definately isn't.
>>    
>>
>A while back I wrote about a self-publicising vanity author. One of
>the details I'd liked to have note was the complete (or near-complete)
>absence of his books in public library catalogues, but it's almost
>impossible to actually find a way to cite a "negative search" much
>less a positive result...
>
In law this ties in closely to the presumption of innocence.  The 
primary burden of proof falls on the person making the claim, not on the 
one denying it.  Perhaps we should have a stock of boilerplate phrases 
to express negative search results.

Ec