On 8/12/06, Ray Saintonge <saintonge(a)telus.net> wrote:
Alphax (Wikipedia email) wrote:
Joe Anderson wrote:
Cool Cat recently created an article called
Starfleet
Uniforms<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfleet_Uniforms>ms>,
and it was nominated for deletion as cruft and OR.
The screencaps/promo photos in the article, IMO, acted as a reputable
source. I mean, how else (canonically) are you going to know about the
uniform switch between TOS and TNG? Using a book is not canonical, and
therefore is surely not [[WP:V]].
There are such things as Star Trek encyclopediae, which report canon and
real life (and probably not fanfic/other non-canon).
While the TV shows are canonical (as are the movies (except where
continuity fails, cf. /Enterprise/)), using a screencap is close to
original research and on dangerous ground wrt. using "fair use" as an
excuse for copyright infringement.
So using a picture from the secondary source would be somehow more free
than using a screen capture?
No, the secondary source would describe the uniform switch from TOS to TNG.
If one draws from a Star Trek Encyclopedia, comparing
what is said there
with the original source is still important. How else are you going to
know whether the Encyclopedia information is accurate?
"Wikipedia articles include material on the basis of verifiability,
not truth. That is, we report what other reliable sources have
published, whether or not we regard the material as accurate. In order
to avoid doing original research, and in order to help improve the
quality of Wikipedia articles, it is essential that any primary-source
material, as well as any generalization, analysis, synthesis,
interpretation, or evaluation of information or data, has been
published by a reputable third-party publication (that is, not
self-published) that is available to readers either from a website
(other than Wikipedia) or through a public library. It is very
important to cite sources appropriately, so that readers can find your
source and can satisfy themselves that Wikipedia has used the source
correctly." WP:NOR
I seriously question the notion that using material
from the original
movie or book is original research.
I don't see how you possibly could question it; it's clear as day (see
above). Where have the screencaps in question been published?
The original research was done by
the author of the book.
That's right, and he's allowed to. Scientists, researchers, authors,
newspaper reporters - they all do original research. We don't, we use
the material the have published in reliable sources instead.
Jay.