Originally Posted by
JBI
Rule of thumb, if it is on Google or yahoo, don't use it. I never, personally, like to footnote anything that wasn't published at one point in print (and usually I will try to dig up the printed version of it if I can) and I would never footnote or even consult anything that wasn't backed by credentials. Simply put, in order to be backed by credentials, most likely the text must be academic, or copyrighted at least, and therefore not on Google.
To be honest with you, and I mean no offense, but I find it baffling how people don't realize what is out there in terms of scholarship in the field - I mean, as soon as I got to university and started learning things, if anything I got the feeling of finally earning the opportunity to be plugged in - there is so much great stuff made available by connection to the institution. Proper research though aught never to be neglected.
For instance, it is OK to post questions on public forums such as this, but it is rude, stupid, and illegal to be like somebody on this forum who is sending me private messages begging me to give him my answer to his teacher's essay question, of which he would a) claim authorship, and b) not tell me that he plans to plagiarize word for word (which actually does happen, as I have, to be honest, seen stuff discussed on boards brought up in class, to the point where I am sure people lifted it.
Generally, if you are consulting with people, do so to reaffirm your own opinion if you are doubting yourself, rather than to lift theirs. It may be tempting to steal, but if I catch you lifting my stuff, I will get you nailed to a cross for plagiarism.