Interesting piece on academic urban legends
here, featuring a convoluted and deliciously ironic analysis of the rumor that spinach is a good source of iron.
HT Charlie Tyson in Inside Higher Ed, who offers further reflections on the issue, including the on ethics of citation.
What if you layer extra skepticism on that in regards to perhaps the correction turns out to be false itself? And the original true that was proven false turns out to be true (for now)? Extra skepticism *cue Pop Eye music*!!
ReplyDeleteThough granted it's kind of a skepticism that's towards what one already believed/wanted to believe :)