Citations are the best way to let readers go back through the chain of references that were source material for statements in your work. While I generally have a lot of respect for journalists, I find the practice of making statements without citing the reference both frustrating and undermining. It is frustrating, because when I want to check a statement made in an article I have to go do all the damn legwork that the reporter had to do in the first place, but with far fewer resources than a reporter has. I believe it to be undermining, because the casual reader is left to believe the reporter’s interpretation of everything stated in the article.<\/p>\n
Take as an example the news today of a Duke University study reporting that Splenda, the artificial sweetener based on the chemical sucralose, can kill beneficial intestinal bacteria, block drug function, and cause weight gain in laboratory rats. A NY Times article [1] reports the findings of the study as follows:<\/p>\n
The latest salvo comes from Duke University researchers, who have published a study that says Splenda \u2014 the grainy white crystals in the little yellow packets \u2014 contributes to obesity, destroys \u201cgood\u201d intestinal bacteria and prevents prescription drugs from being absorbed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As a scientist, my first instinct is to go and read the study. I even have access, through my affiliation to a university, to most of the journals in medicine. However, because the Times doesn’t cite its sources, I have to completely start from scratch in finding the study.<\/p>\n
My first stop is the website of The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, where the article says the study was published before appearing in the print version. I found the article [2] online, and then proceeded to read the research. Woe unto the average non-scientist who tries to do this – they have to subscribe to the journal to see the paper, and that costs mega-moolah.<\/p>\n
Here, as I was writing this, I got distracted\u00a0 actually reading the paper. It’s a fascinating little paper. In fact, it’s so fascinating I am going to end this post and start a new one.<\/p>\n
[1] http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/09\/23\/business\/23splenda.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition<\/a><\/p>\n