The Misuse of Sources

Including the references consulted in one's research is a standard practice in the academe. It is a way of acknowledging and paying respect to scholars who gave ideas on how to go about one's work. Some people, out of ignorance or pride, tend to forgo citing their references and end up as plagiarists. It is only fitting then that we take some time out in at least jotting down good ideas found in every good book read before forgetfulness sinks in.

The need for citing references is all the more evident in scholarly journals. References that were consulted for the work can be found either at the end of the article or as footnotes. Citing references can be quite useful for readers so that they may be able to trace the paper trail which enabled the author to arrive at the conclusions that were reached in the article. Such information is most useful for verification purposes.

In the Philippines intellectual property rights is a most recent phenomenon. Despite its recentness it is reassuring to know that almost every academic in the country observes reference citations. Virtually every article is brimming with references!

Despite the virtues of reference citations I am quite disturbed as to how references are used in many articles. A quick count at some random article will reveal that there is an average of at least 7-10 references consulted for each work. Sad to say but despite the sheer number of works consulted there are times when the authors fail to do justice to the works they cite. Imagine citing big names like Plato only in passing without even contextualizing nor justifying the citation. For some scholars having an extensive reference lists with big names in them is enough for an article to qualify as "scholarly." This is obviously the case in the the social sciences and the humanities.

This Really should not be the case. Scholars should spend more time reflecting on their sources rather than merely citing this or that source with half baked ideas. It is worth knowing that the Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein who is popular for revolutionizing Analytic Philosophy only had less than 10 books in his possession (Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir by Malcolm and Wright). He was not fond of reading but the little he read, he read well. As a result he came out with one of the most insightful works in Western Philosophy given his very few limited publications.

Perhaps it is best that we learn from Wittgenstein in treating references. Whatever reference at hand should be read and read well. After all, articles are written for the innovative insights that were supposed to be communicated and not the number of references cited.

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Works Cited:
The following images were derived from the following sources:

http://web.ncf.ca/ek867/2006_02_16-28_archives.html
http://aerade.cranfield.ac.uk/newsletter0503/journals.gif
http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780199247592

For further reading in Wittgenstein's life please read the excellent book
Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir by Norman Malcolm (Oxford University Press, 2001)

Why I Love Teaching

A few days ago I just finished my classes this summer and I am now in a long hiatus to finish my dissertation. It's funny how you come to think of the most unusual things when you're not doing much. Perhaps it's because one's mind tends to wander when one gets bored with the daily grind.

I never seriously asked myself before why I love teaching but it all became clear to me one day when I was cleaning my room. As I was filing my records from last summer's class I took notice of the index cards my students submitted in class. Memories of last summer filled my head with the happy moments we shared at the time. I really can't believe that it's all over and that I will not be able to be with my students again.

Why do I feel this way? We were only acquainted for a month but why do I miss my students? What have they done for me to feel a great yearning for them? Is this yearning related to the job of teaching or the company of being with students?

The answer to all these questions is quite simple. I miss and yearn for my students because I love them and that loving someone does not require a reason for it to exist. It's just the way it is. It may sound cheesy but a perceptive student once wrote that I treat students as if they were my friends. How true. Every time I enter the classroom I don't see students in there but young peers or siblings. My main job there is to teach them to be good people and nothing more. When the semester ends and I see an improvement (no matter how little) in the way how they think and act then I will be very happy. Though such things are quite different to quantify by usual methods all it takes is some sensitivity and a little intuition for one to determine if you've made a mark. Though I am not sure if all my classes are successful in achieving my goals but seeing 2 or 3 students improve for the better is good enough for me. Rome wasn't built in a day after all.

The reason why I love teaching is because it gives me an opportunity to be with such young people. I am very happy why I'm with them. I always make it a point to challenge them in every way both intellectually and physically because it is a way of making them think big. This is the reason why it's common to see me competing in brawn with many of my students because I want them to learn confidence in dealing with people. There's no better way of developing confidence than in a competition.

I'm really grateful that I was given a chance to become a teacher. Someday I'll return to being one when everything is in order. For now I pray that the Almighty may keep my "dears" safe and that they may be properly guided even when I'm not around. Someday in their own good time they may be able to do things that can make this world a better place.