Often, in a particular domain, an idea is repeated so frequently that
it becomes ownerless, or ownerful (full of owners) as the case may be.
Unless one is writing a history of the domain or about the evolution
of theory, the original source may be lost. I have just dealt with the
same "idea" from five different authors, none citing the others. And
poor, poor moi, desperately trying to credit every line for fear of
the terrible P sin... When one is immersed in a subject, when the
mind is overwhelmed with antecedent voices, how then do you WRITE!!!!
If 15 authors review the same material, what are the chances "this"
sentence will sound like "that" sentence? Is there self-plagiarism?
Must an author credit the self?
Pam (running off with rhetoric)
