rich@oxtrap.UUCP (K. Richard Magill) (09/14/87)
I'm writing a short paper and would like to give credit to information that I lifted from an info page. How should I list this? Is it "published"? Can I reference things I can only find buried in binaries? rich.
kathy@bakerst.UUCP (09/17/87)
In article <660@oxtrap.UUCP> rich@oxtrap.UUCP (K. Richard Magill) writes: >I'm writing a short paper and would like to give credit to information >that I lifted from an info page. How should I list this? Is it >"published"? Can I reference things I can only find buried in >binaries? Without knowing anymore ... I'd say, sure you can - and do whatever seems reasonable/sensible to give credit. I don't know whether there exists a formal style sheet solution to that question (cf. MLA Style Sheet etc.), but if there isn't, then using such things as a guide, I'd suggest forging ahead and making your own "style," including 1. Name, date, and version of the software package 2. Title and date of the info page - or just something like "From explanatory information included with ..." 3. Author of the software and info page 4. Status of information - if, e.g., it came with a copyright notice and/or public domain notice So your line might read: "From comments included as part of the 'defs.h' file of the public domain Mushroom Table Multiplexer Program, Version 2.4a. S.A.Dorien-Grey. January 1987." Or for a "real" example: "How to Read the Network News," the 'howto' file for USENET software, version 2.11. Original by Mark R. Horton, revised by Rick Adams for 2.11. Page 4. September 1986." If your paper is for publication, you might want to check back with the author of the information for permission to quote. If the info is copyrighted, you *should* request permission whether you want to or not :-) Kathy Vincent ------> Home: {ihnp4|mtune|codas|ptsfa}!bakerst!kathy ------> AT&T: {ihnp4|mtune|burl}!wrcola!kathy
root@hobbes.UUCP (John Plocher) (09/19/87)
+---- rich@oxtrap.UUCP (K. Richard Magill) writes in <660@oxtrap.UUCP> ---- | I'm writing a short paper and would like to give credit to information | that I lifted from an info page. How should I list this? Is it | "published"? Can I reference things I can only find buried in | binaries? | | rich. +---- The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style guide states in section 4.8.1: An entry for a commercially produced computer program should contain the following information: The writer of the program, if known; the title of the program, underlined; the descriptive label "Computer software," neither underlined nor enclosed in quotation marks; the distributor; and the year of publication. Put a period after each item except the distributer, which is followed by a comma. At the end of the entry add any other pertinent information - for example, the computer for which the program was designed (e.g., Apple, Atari, or VIC); the number of kilobytes, or units of memory (e.g., 8KB); the operating system (e.g., IBM PC-DOS 2.10, CP/M 2.2); and the form of the program (e.g., cartridge, cassette, or disk). Seperate these items with commas and conclude the entry with a period. Pattis, Richard E. _Karel_the_Robot:_A_Gentle Introduction_to_the_Art_of_Programming_. Computer software. Cybertronics, 1981. Starks, Sparky. _Diskey_. Computer Software. Adventure, 1982. Atari 400/800, 32KB, disk. Taken from: Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter S. Achtert. _MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers_. 2nd ed. New York: The Modern Language Association, 1984. 116-117. ISBN 0-87352-132-3 -- John Plocher uwvax!geowhiz!uwspan!plocher plocher%uwspan.UUCP@uwvax.CS.WISC.EDU