citation

In further support of the last post: Academics, when referring to their own published studies in their papers and manuscripts, generally adhere to a third person citation style. In other words, I might write about myself:

Sloan (2004) maintains that he is "not a writer".

rather than...

I said in 2004 that I am not a writer.

However weird it may be to refer to one's self in the third person, it does seem to support the notion of a constantly evolving identity.

I once had a prof who adhered rigidly to this during his lectures, proudly citing his old research by saying:

Jefferies 2001 noted that...

All the students knew what he was doing, but it was still kind of funny to hear this aloud. Here was Professor Jefferies telling us what "Jefferies 2001" had said about a particular topic. You had to crack a smile. Most of us just thought he was completely full of himself.

I've often thought that this citation convention could help with relationship disputes. Significant others, as we all come to find, have an uncanny knack for remembering unsavory shit that you did or said (see Dave Chappelle's "Home Stenographer"). The unsavory shit comes up years later and is applied (unfairly, perhaps) in a completely different context. It is at this point that APA style suddenly becomes necessary...

Did you not say I was "a bitch"?
You were talking to Sloan 2002! Sloan 2008 would never think of saying something like that. But sure, Sloan 2002...you wanna keep an eye on that creep.

It wasn't me...it was him.

I'm like Bill Murray at the end of Scrooged:

It's me! But the best thing about it is...it's NOT me!

Fun stuff.