WRITE A BOOK

[Felix C]

1 minute ago, Andy Wade said:

 

Is that what bibliography inflation is? Genuine question, because I had to Google it and one source gives it as describing the act of someone getting their name attached to papers and publications when they've either done very little or nothing on them, just to inflate their own list of achievements. I would appreciate an explanation of it please, on account of me being somewhat thick...

 I just made up that expression at the moment I wrote it as a quick phrasing for author's who use works they have not read in their own works to fatten out the bibliography. Interesting to know it is a "thing" for other abuses as well.

[Andy Wade]

Ah I see. As I was writing my post I was thinking both reasons could apply. Thank you.

[Moonraker]

In just two days, two slightly bizarre and one very unpleasant occurrences:

 

I came across a 2014 review of my Canadians book in the Channel Islands Great War Study Group Journal -  not that there's anything in the book about the Islands. Apparently the review had spotted my book at the Signals Museum in Blandford Forum. Nice review, and nice of the Museum to stock my book. (Pity several Wiltshire museums didn't/wouldn't. ) BTW, the Group's website and journal - available as an online archive - are both very good.

 

Then I discovered that the Canadians book is being listed by a bookseller in Poland, not that there's anything of Polish interest (though no doubt Polish immigrants featured in the First Contingent). This must be another example of a bookseller listing titles speculatively without having them in stock and in the (rare) event of getting an order he arranges for one to be sent from the publisher or wholesaler.

 

But I've just heard that someone I was briefly in contact with 20 years or so ago about "military Wiltshire" has been convicted of gross offences. We browsed on the same stand at the same time at a postcard fair, then exchanged a couple of letters about cards showing local camps.

 

(One or two Forum members may have seen the media coverage, but I don't think we need to go into further detail.)

 

Moonraker

 

 

[David Filsell]

Perhaps Tom Lehrer's famous quote has already appeared on the thread. But it seem's important;

"Plaigaries, plagiarise, let no one's work evade your eyes"

 

[GreyC]

Hi David,

haven´t heard that name in a while. Will take that as a hint to listen to one of his records again. Thanks!

GreyC

[Moonraker]

6 hours ago, David Filsell said:

Perhaps Tom Lehrer's famous quote has already appeared on the thread. But it seem's important;

"Plaigaries, plagiarise, let no one's work evade your eyes"

 

There was an article in a newspaper a week or two ago about a distinguished author accused of plagiarism. Two or three paragraphs from one of her books were included, along with those from books she'd obviously consulted. There were definite similarities, indeed only two or three words were different or missing, but I suspect that there are countless examples of a few sentences being re-used in this manner by many authors

 

Several times I've recognised "my" wording in a book, but I suspect it may have previously appeared in a book that I'd consulted...

 

I can't get bothered about two or three sentences being taken without attribution, but whole paragraphs...

 

I've told the tale before of one author who complained bitterly that I had infringed her copyright by using 167 words from one of her books. She wanted them put in quotation marks in any reprint. In fact the words formed a precis of a couple of paragraphs in her book. And I had included her book in my bibliography.

 

Moonraker

 

[Andy Wade]

As the late lamented Douglas Adams once said, ‘Ford! he said, there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out.’

 

I do wonder how long it will be until every possible arrangement of words has been used and it becomes impossible to write anything without some aspect of it being an inadvertent copy of someone else's work. At sentence level I would have thought this has already happened a good number of times. I find myself writing things and thinking 'ooh that's quite good.' Then I wonder if it's something I've read before and it just popped into my head. Short of Googling chunks of text to see what pops up I guess I'll just have to be careful what I write.

[Bernard_Lewis]

I am writing a (hoped-for) bio of Henry Coombe-Tennant of Neath. Extensive family archive plus lots of other sources make a birth to death account possible.

 

He was a WW2 POW but escaped with two chums, one of whom wrote an account of the escapade. I have had to rehash it in my current work (it's the only first-hand account) so I summarised the relevant bits before rewriting and adding in newly found source material.

 

I am confident that it does not infringe copyright. (Gulp!)

 

Bernard

[David Filsell]

His/her facts, whoever he or she is, can be countered by your rewriting the facts stated. It happens al the time. But in my opinion failing to credit your sources is not on even if you do do and reduces your credibility. If all else fails blaming your researcher is an option, although an entirely discreditable one.

Edited 12 February , 2019 by David Filsell

[Bernard_Lewis]

Naturally, I will refer to the original work in footnotes and bibliography.

 

Bernard

[IPT]

I am willing to appear au naturel on page 3 if that might increase circulation.

[seaJane]

Now if I did that, they'd pay the author to take the book away ... 

[David Filsell]

Ugh. How distaseful!!!