Diane wrote: "It would be considered appropriate courtesy for other members of this list to hold off duplicating my current topic of research work until it has been published, and then if they wish to add comments, or suggest modifications either by email to me, or by comments to the blog. "
I can only pop in for a moment, but I wanted to say, just so you know, Diane, that I am supportive of professional courtesy (and courtesy in general) but how many people researching the VMS would hold off on their research (or publication of their findings) so you can finish yours? Besides the fact that research is never finished...
Research is a competitive field. I'm just trying to be realistic and look at this in a pragmatic way. Is it possible to make such a request?
I can only pop in for a moment, but I wanted to say, just so you know, Diane, that I am supportive of professional courtesy (and courtesy in general) but how many people researching the VMS would hold off on their research (or publication of their findings) so you can finish yours? Besides the fact that research is never finished...
- Some of them have never read your research or have only the barest acquaintance with it. I am somewhat in this category. I'm not even sure what you consider your primary focus since you've responded to a variety of topics on this forum.
- None of us has read the part that is in progress (as yet unpublished), so how can people avoid duplicating your research, especially those who have been studying the VMS for a decade or more?
- Some of them probably disagree with your research—since we are all individuals looking at it in different ways, they might have a completely different viewpoint of the same material.
- Some of them are eager to "be first". You have only to look at how many have jumped the gun and published findings that later turn out to be unsubstantiated, which didn't crack the "code", and which never received corroboration through the work of others. They published before they had confirmed that what they thought they saw was really there (I don't mean the ones who publish interim findings, I mean the ones who publish "solutions" that aren't).
- Some are ambitious and don't give a hang about professional courtesy.
- Some would feel that no one has an exclusive right to claim a portion of the manuscript and ask others to hold off on their work to accommodate a specific person.
Research is a competitive field. I'm just trying to be realistic and look at this in a pragmatic way. Is it possible to make such a request?