The importance of crediting sources - OT

[Guest guest]

When writing about anything which isn't common knowledge, it is

vitally important to credit the source. This is so that readers can

check the documentation and know that one is not just making stuff

up. The source may be personal experience or it may be the writings

of another. In either event, it's important to credit the source so

that readers can evaluate the information.

 

It is especially important to credit the source when when one quotes

another word-for-word. To fail to do so is plagiarism, and this is

a form of stealing. It's also against the law in many countries.

 

Whenever someone plagiarizes another's writings about health, this

is an indication that the person is not to be trusted as a healer.

Someone who will steal the words of another is not above stealing

the money of others. It's wise to regard the healing skills as well

as the many goods such people offer on their websites and in their

newsletters as highly suspect. It's wise to also suspect that the

person has little if any concern with the people buying his or her

services and goods. Such a person's primary concern is what he or

she can get from others. Such people also are lazy and careless, and

the last thing a sick person needs is a healer who is lazy and

careless.

 

Something else to keep in mind is that such people make the mistake

of thinking that by failing to credit the work of others, they are

coming across as knowing more than they actually know and being more

qualified than they actually are. In reality, one characteristic of

someone who really does know what he or she is talking about is that

plenty of other people will be credited and referenced. For

example, Dr. Marciocia credits other sources. Al Stone credits

others. Etc.

 

If any of you recently have received an ad for a newsletter, and on

that website are whole paragraphs lifted word-for-word from posts on

this site or others, be very, very leery.

 

For those wishing to quote something on here written by any member,

please ask permission from the poster first and then be sure to give

proper credit to the writer and that it appeared on Chinese Traditional Medicine.

The reason for asking permission is that this is a private list, and

some posters may not want to be quoted someplace else. If you want

to post something on here from another list which is private, please

ask permission first and be sure to credit the writer and list on

here. If the info is from a public website or book, usually you

don't have to ask permission (the exception is if the individual

asks you to get permission first). But please be sure to credit both

the writer and where the info appears (website, book, tape, etc.) on

here.

 

This may seem like a lot of extra work, but it's important. It's a

win-win situation. The original author gets proper credit, and you

keep and even gain credibility by being so careful.

 

BTW, crediting sources is the way proper writing is done in the

health and science fields and every other field. When a health care

professional fails to credit sources and to document, it does raise

questions about the person's training.