Should I remove the invalid citation from reference list?
Hi all. I have really a weird issue with my citations, and I don’t know where can I find an answer to it so here I am posting my question in the hope of getting the right advice. During the research, I found a very useful blog post by the student on a university blog (not mentioning the name of the university) which was a bit controversial. I studied that blog and it was directly addressing one of the independent variables for my research about the student psychology in high school! I cited it about a year ago and now when I was editing my thesis and organizing the citations, I tried to locate those to check if they are available now or not. But see! That post has been removed by the university and now that particular reference has remained invalid. Now I have no idea what should I do! I just don’t want to remove it because then I have to rework on it for which I have lesser time. Please advise.
Posted in: PhD Thesis, Research
kristan1542 11:09 am on July 5, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This would be called negligence from your supervisor’s part. He could have advised you earlier to be careful while citing internet-only sources, that means, the sources which are not available in print form and especially when you cite a blog post. These kinds of stuff you see are not considered carrying credible value. Even I can’t advise you upon this. Sorry, I think you must consult the doctoral committee!
wallybrandon7 2:20 am on July 6, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hit hard at the last moment? Lesser time, tons of work still pending…this is how the PhD life goes. Reviewing the literature will surely cost so dearly to you. Being said, delete the reference and the section where you put argument or information or simply a description addressing the citation. Try to substitute with some recent psychological theory or key findings, you can also replace it with some interview-like thing as in you consult a student and then discuss your research questions or something and then quote this interview. This is I guess the best option to go for. At this time, you need to find a reliable source and a strong evidence or theory.
sylviapetrie 9:27 am on July 6, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
You may get help in tracing the required citations and references from any professional. I found this US-based firm which can assist you in resolving the citation issues https://www.dissertationrevision.com/ . Go through the website once, you will find the required information!
dorothyclemens 12:11 pm on July 7, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
No other option is available for you…you must remove it otherwise the integrity of your thesis would be under the radar of criticism. Try to find some other source similar to what earlier you got. As you said, your research is related to high school students and psychology, so perhaps you can go that university and get access to the student magazine or publications. At times, these are helpful because some of the student services actually raise the student-related issues that are faced by the student population in almost every sphere. Visit the university once, may be you find any solution over there.