Citing (multi)media in scholary communication
Claudia Koltzenburg
Friday, 28 August 2009 14:24 UTC
Imagine you are in the process of drafting a submission, and that studying a certain 3D model animation (or a video, or some code) has generated an interesting ‘Aha! effect’ that provides you with an important clue for what you want to communicate – would you ever acknowledge this ‘multimedia’ file in your contribution’s references?
If yes, what does this depend on?
- its content?
- this content having been put on the web after peer review?
- a citiation export feature being available?
- your reference managing tool accepting all file formats?
- the file having a doi?
- the file being itself part of a journal article or its supplement?
- it being open access?
- …?
Many argue that files on the web are too volatile, and often this is intended as an argument against multimedia files (or against referencing any of the new web based formats).
Let us take a closer look, somewhat behind the scenes: Why cite a traditional article from a journal if, for proprietary reasons, it might not be available any more as soon as their publisher goes out of business or turns of the servers – i.e., publishers who in their e-bundle contracts with libraries grant access only, explicitely excluding the permission to store institutionally any of the files accessed?
So why place more trust in references to journal articles than in references of any other file on the web? This actually concerns articles behind paywalls and open access (OA) articles alike. In such a perspective maybe only OA green articles seem reliable (if we did follow the philosophy of LOCKSS – Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe in the first place, that is – maybe this links to the issue of multiple dois, but that is a different issue – or maybe is is not?).
Referencing sources in any type of format, I would argue, provides an opportunity to liberate thinking habits, drafting habits and publishing habits, too. Consider this observation: consequential intellectual work takes place in myriad ways outside of traditional scholarly genres – which links in a way to what Bora Zivkovic termed The Ethics of The Quote -
so, what exactly are the arguments against acknowledging by standard referencing your ‘Aha! effect’ when using an item of new web based media?
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thanks, Joachim,
could you provide us with a link to this project?
who is running it and since when?I wonder: would it also cater for any incidences that fit the following description: “a / process/ being part of a citation … i.e. take object x and do this set of things to it to see what I saw…” (Cameron Neylon, after 2 Sept 2009, http://friendfeed.com/claudiakoltzenburg/a1afdc88/if-my-peers-do-it)?
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have a new version of the description (below) – please let me know: would CrossMark cater for this, or is it intending to, Joachim?
“take this data from over here and process using that script over there and then display it on this graph so you can see you get the same thing – and more importantly you can start fiddling if you have concerns” Cameron Neylon 2009-09-27
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Allan, thank you,
which of the purposes specifically relevant to non-printable stuff is Datacite addressing and how?
our OA journal Cellular Therapy and Transplantation is already working with the TIB and since we include videos as articles, so to speak, (and are interested in offering to our authors East and West whatever new possibilites may come up,) we are of course eager to learn what any initiative like the ones mentioned by you and Joachim is doing (or preparing to do) that can support us on this track into the exciting unknowable future of publishing and reliable referencing.
do you as a consortium also address issues like some of the print world habits addressed above as well as issues like:
- if my peers do it…
and
- how make authors reference every source they used in their contribution, because of its contents and – hopefully – irrespective of whether it is considered ‘citable’ by their peers…?
this should be very helpful, indeed, e.g., with regards to ‘fair trade’ publishing among other things
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Hi Claudia
If you are already talking with TIB, then I suggest you continue to do so as TIB are integral to the Datacite consortium. Jan’s contact details are on the Datacite website.
Some of the topics you raise are important but outside the scope of a registration agency for DOIs – you are talking major behaviour change!
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Hi Allan
habit changes, yes, well, I wonder if anyone knows of an ingenious (and maybe also ingenuous ;-) game/website/presentation on the topics raised here –
frankly, I guess every habit change comes easier with playing around, fiddling, and happy discovery – and maybe even doing it together – at least this is what works best for me ;-) -
here is some info about CrossMark:
http://www.crossref.org/crossmark.html
and of course contact links to the people at crossref.
best – Joachim
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