Dear list, I have a seemingly basic question to which I have been unable to find a satisfactory answer. I'm trying to find a clear defining attribute of a "personal communication" that differentiates it from an "unpublished data" citation in a publication. I can certainly think of instances where the choice is obvious. However, there seem to be a number of examples that could logically be cited as either personal communication or unpublished data. For instance, if someone mentions to me via a phone call or e-mail that during the course of their research they observed an animal exhibiting a particular behavior, it seems that it would typically be cited as a personal communication. However, if this behavior is recorded, it becomes data, and if it is unpublished...well, you get the point. So, are there any good definitions for these phrases that will help make such decisions more clearcut?
Thanks, Robert _________________________________________________________ Robert Long, Ph.D. Research Ecologist Starksboro, VT 05487 (802)434-2766 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________
