In a message dated 10/6/2008 1:12:41 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, toddmallen@gmail.com writes:
go, or digging through public records. If the details in question can be found at a library (especially in 12 sources), this is simple research of the unoriginal type-someone else already did the research.>> --------------------- NOR does not cover "digging through public records". In fact, we allow "digging through public records". This is not original research, this is source-based research. Original research only covers "statements of fact" you have generated in some way, originally, that is as the first originator. Not as the second or later. A public record is the first published originator of any "statement of fact" contained therein, and so, in using these, you are not doing original research.
Will Johnson
**************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001)
On Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 12:04 PM, WJhonson@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 10/6/2008 1:12:41 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, toddmallen@gmail.com writes:
go, or digging through public records. If the details in question can be found at a library (especially in 12 sources), this is simple research of the unoriginal type-someone else already did the research.>>
NOR does not cover "digging through public records". In fact, we allow "digging through public records". This is not original research, this is source-based research. Original research only covers "statements of fact" you have generated in some way, originally, that is as the first originator. Not as the second or later. A public record is the first published originator of any "statement of fact" contained therein, and so, in using these, you are not doing original research.
Will Johnson
**************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
I suppose it doesn't prevent simple statements of fact from a primary source, but it does prevent any novel synthesis of them. NPOV also has an undue weight provision, and a very good question if someone went digging through primary sources and put material from them into an article is "If these are really important enough to be in the article, why hasn't any other source reported on them besides you?" I think our content policies still do quite well at preventing character assassination or dirt digging here, but we should be careful not to exclude well-sourced information while prohibiting such practices.