Comments on: How to Cite e-Resources without Stable URLs

By: Matteo Romanello

Matteo Romanello — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:07:18 +0000

WebCite® it's an attempt to fix this problem developed in the medical field It's an "on-demand archiving system for webreferences (cited webpages and websites, or other kinds of Internet-accessible digital objects), which can be used by authors, editors, and publishers of scholarly papers and books, to ensure that cited webmaterial will remain available to readers in the future", see http://www.webcitation.org/. What's interesting is that WebCite® - as member of the nternational Internet Preservation Consortium - has made a commitment for long-term preservation of archived webreferences. Perhaps it's not the definitive solution but at least it's a step towards.

By: Notis Toufexis

Notis Toufexis — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:48:41 +0000

I don’t think there is an obvious answer to your question. I would put the bar even higher: I would like to be able to cite with a stable URL every part of the text, down to the word level (if it’s a digital edition) or at least the paragpaph for reference works, including revisions that may have taken place. How far away are we from something like this?

By: Gabriel Bodard

Gabriel Bodard — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:39:44 +0000

Michael–thanks for the correction. I’ve fixed in it the title.

Tom–yes, but if you’re having to cite the URL *in print*, at least it gives you the opportunity to update, which is something you don’t have on paper normally. I agree it doesn’t solve the bigger problem, though.

By: Tom Elliott

Tom Elliott — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:34:14 +0000

As to the Zotero URL idea … I fear that’s just pushing the rot down the pike. It still depends on an arbitrary user periodically checking on the location of a resource and updating it, instead of the issuer taking responsibility for stability and curation.

By: Michael McAllister

Michael McAllister — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:05:59 +0000

Iterasi allows you to take a copy of a page, and share it. That may be useful for links intended to reference a single page rather than an entire site. Of course, you’re dependant on Iterasi not going away.

Side note, because I’m a pedant, “Resourse” in the title should be “Resource.”