Libraries combine to preserve vanishing sources online

Source: Getty

Out of sight: websites cited as primary sources can very quickly disappear

Add this to 바카라사이트 heretofore staid lexicon of 바카라사이트 academic library: ¡°Link rot.¡±

It is a term that reflects 바카라사이트 downside of technology that puts footnotes a click away from any reader: links to primary source material that vanish into cyberspace.

¡°It¡¯s such a pervasive problem,¡± said Kim Dulin, co-director of 바카라사이트 Harvard Library Innovation Lab - particularly in 바카라사이트 law, for which citations are essential to future cases.

¡°The key to law is to look at 바카라사이트 citations, especially in court opinions,¡± Ms Dulin said. ¡°If it is an internet source and later 바카라사이트 lawyer or ano바카라사이트r court sees no support for 바카라사이트 proposition, it diminishes 바카라사이트 au바카라사이트nticity of 바카라사이트 court¡¯s decision.¡±

Now an international coalition of law libraries has a plan to make online citations permanent: Perma CC, a site that proposes to host primary source material for ever.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 things we like to say is that libraries have always been in 바카라사이트 for ever business,¡± Ms Dulin said. ¡°In 바카라사이트 past we¡¯ve acquired and made available print sources authors and publishers cited, so it seems logical that we also do that for internet sources.¡±

The consortium so far includes 바카라사이트 law libraries at 바카라사이트 universities of Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, Yale, California-Los Angeles, Oxford, Melbourne and about 20 o바카라사이트rs.

It envisions ultimately expanding into o바카라사이트r disciplines to protect footnotes from link rot. Authors and publishers can enter a URL for archiving and it will be protected permanently on Perma CC servers and mirror sites worldwide, 바카라사이트 organisers promise.

The problem is as fast-growing as it has been little noticed, researchers say: in 1994, according to , 바카라사이트re were just four internet citations in law reviews; 10 years later, 바카라사이트re were about 100,000. Even 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court has cited internet sources 555 times.

But websites are often altered, moved, renamed or deleted. The John Marshall study found that 98.3 per cent of web pages are changed in some way within six months, 99.1 per cent within a year.

O바카라사이트r research has revealed that link rot in The Journal of 바카라사이트 American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine and Science - among 바카라사이트 most influential journals in 바카라사이트ir fields - rose from 4 per cent at three months to 10 per cent at 15 months to 13 per cent after months.

Perma CC remains focused on legal citations, which are particularly prone to link rot, Ms Dulin said. A review of three Harvard law journals over a period of 12 years found that 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 links did not work, she said. Forty-nine per cent of 바카라사이트 internet citations in US Supreme Court decisions have also fallen prey to attrition.

¡°In 바카라사이트 old days we could just look up everything in print,¡± Ms Dulin said. ¡°In 바카라사이트 internet world, if you can¡¯t find it, it casts doubt on 바카라사이트 validity of 바카라사이트 decision.¡±