Comments on: Manual Labor http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/ Blogging by and for academic and research librarians Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Why the “Research Paper” Isn’t Working  /  The Ave http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-203356 Why the “Research Paper” Isn’t Working  /  The Ave Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:17:10 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-203356 [...] Blog  U By Barbara Fister April 12, 2011 9:30 pm EDT On our panel I questioned the fetish of citation correctness, Doug Downs and ZuZu Feder examined the double standard that we impose on students (are we so [...] [...] Blog  U By Barbara Fister April 12, 2011 9:30 pm EDT On our panel I questioned the fetish of citation correctness, Doug Downs and ZuZu Feder examined the double standard that we impose on students (are we so [...]

]]> By: Citation Strictness | Learning at the Library http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-202715 Citation Strictness | Learning at the Library Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:53:42 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-202715 [...] course, I highly doubt that anyone remembers how to do all of their citations (whose styles constantly change, besides!) At least, as graduate students, we have largely determined whether we are pursuing [...] [...] course, I highly doubt that anyone remembers how to do all of their citations (whose styles constantly change, besides!) At least, as graduate students, we have largely determined whether we are pursuing [...]

]]> By: Brad Matthies http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-144589 Brad Matthies Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:49:33 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-144589 I could not agree more! When all of this was devolving someone on a library list-serv commented that the APA Manual was not designed with freshmen in mind. Well that comment makes about as much sense as putting a screen door on a submarine! The fact is that professors expect freshmen to cite. In addition, certain disciplines lack an official style guide so students are expected to adapt. Problem is most students are really bad about adapting because they've never really had to cite in highschool! Take business for example, no official style. Some business schools modify Chicago while others modify APA. Neither is an effective and efficient fit. If I had a dollar for every hour I've spent modifying APA to work in the business world I'd be a richer man! Seriously: This seems like a perfect publishing opportunity for ALA. Why not gather interested librarians at the next conference, form a committee, and publish a Universal Style Guide? -Brad I could not agree more! When all of this was devolving someone on a library list-serv commented that the APA Manual was not designed with freshmen in mind. Well that comment makes about as much sense as putting a screen door on a submarine! The fact is that professors expect freshmen to cite. In addition, certain disciplines lack an official style guide so students are expected to adapt. Problem is most students are really bad about adapting because they’ve never really had to cite in highschool!

Take business for example, no official style. Some business schools modify Chicago while others modify APA. Neither is an effective and efficient fit. If I had a dollar for every hour I’ve spent modifying APA to work in the business world I’d be a richer man!

Seriously: This seems like a perfect publishing opportunity for ALA. Why not gather interested librarians at the next conference, form a committee, and publish a Universal Style Guide?

-Brad

]]> By: Library Hacks » What *really* matters when citing sources? http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-144316 Library Hacks » What *really* matters when citing sources? Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:13:14 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-144316 [...] Barbara Fister posits in her ACRLog post, is this time well spent? Is research somehow made more valid when its footnotes are perfectly [...] [...] Barbara Fister posits in her ACRLog post, is this time well spent? Is research somehow made more valid when its footnotes are perfectly [...]

]]> By: Amy http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143869 Amy Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:17:36 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143869 AMEN! AMEN!

]]> By: Eric A. Kidwell http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143796 Eric A. Kidwell Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:22:59 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143796 All this anxiety over the APA's recent inability to produce an accurate update just reminds me of what one of my professor's told me in graduate school [the recently departed Michael Rothacker of the no-longer-in-existence Vanderbilt (Peabody) library school]. I remember him telling us that he didn't care what citation style we used, or if we made up our own, as long as he could tell where we got our information. The wisdom of that viewpoint just seems to get more and more obvious. All this anxiety over the APA’s recent inability to produce an accurate update just reminds me of what one of my professor’s told me in graduate school [the recently departed Michael Rothacker of the no-longer-in-existence Vanderbilt (Peabody) library school]. I remember him telling us that he didn’t care what citation style we used, or if we made up our own, as long as he could tell where we got our information. The wisdom of that viewpoint just seems to get more and more obvious.

]]> By: Why I Love the New APA Style Guide http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143459 Why I Love the New APA Style Guide Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:44:41 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143459 [...] have been several scathing indictments of the new APA style guide. And by”scathing indictments” I mean “well-thought-out [...] [...] have been several scathing indictments of the new APA style guide. And by”scathing indictments” I mean “well-thought-out [...]

]]> By: » Problems with the New APA Citation Style Reference at Newman Library http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143457 » Problems with the New APA Citation Style Reference at Newman Library Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:08:04 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143457 [...] this year to its citation guidelines for journal articles. The posts by Catherine Pellegrino and Barbara Fister effectively detail why it is a bad idea to require people to have to track down a DOI for an [...] [...] this year to its citation guidelines for journal articles. The posts by Catherine Pellegrino and Barbara Fister effectively detail why it is a bad idea to require people to have to track down a DOI for an [...]

]]> By: Larry Stephens http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143406 Larry Stephens Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:13:24 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143406 There is an old saying, "If it ain't broke [pardon the grammar], don't fix it." Bottom line--the good folk at MLA should not be in the business of making perpetual changes to the existing format. All the changes lead to nothing but confusion and frustration . . . for everyone involved. I understand the need to make changes when you have new media forms entering the knowledge pool, but aside from these exceptions, why do they feel compelled to make continual alterations to existing media forms? It simply defies logic and good common sense. There is an old saying, “If it ain’t broke [pardon the grammar], don’t fix it.” Bottom line–the good folk at MLA should not be in the business of making perpetual changes to the existing format. All the changes lead to nothing but confusion and frustration . . . for everyone involved. I understand the need to make changes when you have new media forms entering the knowledge pool, but aside from these exceptions, why do they feel compelled to make continual alterations to existing media forms? It simply defies logic and good common sense.

]]> By: If you need a flowchart to cite an article, you’re doing it wrong – Spurious Tuples http://acrlog.org/2009/10/18/manual-labor/comment-page-1/#comment-143376 If you need a flowchart to cite an article, you’re doing it wrong – Spurious Tuples Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:47:01 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=2107#comment-143376 [...] 10/21/09:  Barbara Fister, writing for ACRLog, covers much the same ground, with way more style and panache than I’ve managed here, plus ties the whole issue into carbon footprints! This entry was [...] [...] 10/21/09:  Barbara Fister, writing for ACRLog, covers much the same ground, with way more style and panache than I’ve managed here, plus ties the whole issue into carbon footprints! This entry was [...]

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