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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by The Literate Engineer (talk | contribs) at 17:43, 3 November 2006 (Regarding original research.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Request for Comment: Sex tourism

As an editor involved in this dispute, you are invited to enter a statement in the RfC under Talk:Sex_tourism. — edgarde 22:16, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Regarding original research.

In answer to your question, yes, participant observation is original research. The exception is if that participants' observations have been published in a reputable source. Additionally, I'll two sections of the wikipedia:no original research policy. First, "Editors often make the mistake of thinking that if A is published by a reliable source, and B is published by a reliable source, then A and B can be joined together in an article in order to advance position C. However, this would be an example of a new synthesis of published material serving to advance a position, and as such it would constitute original research. "A and B, therefore C" is acceptable only if a reliable source has published this argument in relation to the topic of the article." I think you may be making this mistake, which is indeed a common one, in the Sex tourism dispute. The second is "An edit counts as original research if it does any of the following:

• It introduces a theory or method of solution;
• It introduces original ideas;
• It defines new terms;
• It provides or presumes new definitions of pre-existing terms;
• It introduces an argument, without citing a reputable source for that argument, that purports to refute or support another idea, theory, argument, or position;
• It introduces an analysis or synthesis of established facts, ideas, opinions, or arguments in a way that builds a particular case favored by the editor, without attributing that analysis or synthesis to a reputable source;
• It introduces or uses neologisms, without attributing the neologism to a reputable source."

If people think you're doing one of those, the original research charge gets leveled. The Literate Engineer 17:43, 3 November 2006 (UTC)