To whom it may concern:
I don’t know if it’s my academic background, but I seem to have a heightened awareness when it comes to citing sources. If I refer to a specific article, I refer to it. If I use data in a post, I make sure I state where I found the figures. I believe it’s important to be forthcoming when it comes to what inspired something or what research I’m using to support a point.
It isn’t only about being forthcoming. I’ve read good articles only to be thwarted by an “according to a recent article” with no accompanying link or reference material at the end of the post. I have no way of finding the article; the author didn’t provide any clues as to where the article came from or by whom it was written. It’s frustrating for me and other people who want to dive deeper into a topic or who want to make sure that the author didn’t twist the quote or data for his or her own ends.
Because of that, I have a simple request: please cite your sources. I don’t care that you’re writing a non-academic blog post. I want to know what your source materials are, especially if you state that you’re using some. The kind thing to do is to tell your readers where you found your information. Your readers will thank you.
Sincerely,
Erin Feldman
Image: ToNToN CoPT (CC BY NC SA 2.0)
There is no excuse for ripping someone off.
geoffliving Indeed not, which you unfortunately know first-hand.