[WikiEN-l] While we're at it, NOR line-by-line

[Phil Sandifer]

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 12:36 PM, <WJhonson at aol.com> wrote:

>
> In a message dated 4/7/2008 5:27:04 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> ritzman at gmail.com writes:
>
> Would  the phrase "all research is original" be a simple way of stating
> the  above?>>
>
>
> -------------------
> No.  When I go to the library and read the newspaper I am not doing
>  original
> research.  I am doing source-based research.  They are not  the same
> thing.
>
> Original research means I am *creating* the statements of fact, not that
>  I'm
> looking them up in another source.
>
> So "all research" is not "original" since people use the word "research"
> to
> cover looking things up in other sources.
>
> Will Johnson
>

The issue is that presenting that research is always somewhat original -
that is, the statement "This presentation of statements is substantively
equivalent to the statements in this source" is not a trivial one - it's an
argument that does not come directly and transparently from the original
source. Summary is original research.

-Phil