In article <[log in to unmask]>, on Tue, 30 Jan
2001 at 13:55:05, Sharon Buford <URL: mailto:[log in to unmask]>
writes
>
>I went to the local library (special collections), and looked
>in the vertical file.
>There is some information there that could be helpful, BUT, 1)the newspaper
>articles are copies (not a problem)
>2) there is no referance written on them, sourcing "from whence" they came.
>
>My question is this: 1) can I use these as sources? 2) how do I referance
>them?

You can use anything as sources of information, but you must judge the
reliability of each source by what you know of its origin. It would be
difficult to verify the information in an unattributed newspaper
cutting, unless it contained references within it to where the
information had come from. In turn, you must give your readers the
opportunity to judge for themselves the reliability of the information
you provide to them.

If you refer to such material you should give enough information for
someone to check the same source as you used. If all you can say is that
it is from a newspaper cutting in a library file, give the name of the
library, the heading it is filed under, and any estimate of date (a
range of dates if necessary). If an author is mentioned, that name
should be given too, of course.

The library staff may be able to help, knowing which papers were cut,
when the collection was started/finished, whether they obtained it from
an outside source and so on. I suggest the latter possibility because
library people are normally punctilious about marking cuttings with
date, origin and so on.

Leonard Will
--
Willpower Information       (Partners: Dr Leonard D Will, Sheena E Will)
Information Management Consultants              Tel: +44 (0)20 8372 0092
27 Calshot Way, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 7BQ, UK. Fax: +44 (0)20 8372 0094
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