Imagine for a second that you are about to present a paper on the subject of special relativity. OK I know that is a bit like suddenly finding yourself on the train wearing your pajamas, but bear with me. You would I am sure, whether you were an expert or a pajama-wearing tyro, feel some obligation to include a reference or two- perhaps to 'prior art' by one A. Einstein? Citing references is second nature in scientific articles. If you don't supply references, your work will lack authority and may even be considered plagiarism. It is unlikely that you alone were responsible for the whole information value chain that led up to your oeuvre. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, although as another physicist, Carl Sagan once said, 'to make a apple pie, first create the universe,' but I digress...
展开▼
