To whomever:
 
  Concerning the question of how to reference information obtained by email,
it should be done the same as personal correspondence by letter or interview
(i.e., "personal communication" or "pers. comm." in the fields in which I am
familiar).
 
  However, I think referencing email should only be done in rare cases.
Emial is only an initial survey that should lead to journal articles and
books that have a permanent record; it is these permanent records that
should be cited in professional papers.  I think that we are starting to see
a new generation of students who are using email as a major source of
information for papers or theses and who may be spending less time in the
library stacks; this should be discouraged.
 
  I think that I would be very critical of a paper that came to me for
review that had too many citations to email and not enough indication of a
deeper analysis.
 
Kevin McCartney
Associate Prof. of Geology
Director, Northern Maine Museum of Science (opens Sept. 1995)
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME  04769