I did one paper where the prof gave me special permission to use A FEW internet sources, but not all of my research was allowed to come from a chat room. I had to get people to email me and then I had to email them back with specific questions...kind of like an interview. They also had to be willing to give me their full name and I then had to print these emails out and hand them in with the paper to show that they were legit. She also could have emailed the people on her own b/c she had the email addy's to see that I had talked to them.
It was a paper on the hippie culture of the 1960's. Considering I wasn't born until the late 70's, the professor thought that I could get more information from someone who had experienced that time period and culture firsthand. I also had to have some hard copy literature to back these things up and as many face to face interviews as possible. I was only allowed the internet resources because I did not know anyone that had lived the true hippie lifestyle with the communes, etc. Anyhow, very long, rambling story short, I was allowed the internet as a last resort and not as a primary source of citation and I definitely was NOT allowed to cite a message board and usernames.
|
