User talk:Till Bruckner

PhD thesis
Please do not use your PhD thesis as a reference unless you can show it has been reviewed by third-party published reliable sources. --Neil N  talk to me 14:44, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Hi NeilN, thanks for the feedback. I'm new to Wikipedia so please clarify. Wikipedia guidance states:

''Completed dissertations or theses written as part of the requirements for a PhD, and which are publicly available (most via interlibrary loan or from Proquest), can be used but care should be exercised, as they are often, in part, primary sources.... If possible, use theses that have been cited in the literature; supervised by recognized specialists in the field; or reviewed by third parties. ''

1. My thesis has been published in book form by a reputed academic publisher, Lambert Academic Publishing: http://www.amazon.com/Aid-without-Accountability-billion-sometimes/dp/3659257052

2. It has was supervised by reputed experts. The Politics department at Bristol has the UK's top (5*) RAE research rating. It was also peer reviewed (viva) by two scholars working at UK universities.

3. It has been externally (and approvingly) reviewed by a well-known expert in the field: http://www.bourgoing.com/en/2014/04/does-aid-transparency-accountability-effectiveness-not-so-sure/

I thought it would be more appropriate to reference the PhD thesis than the (identical in content) published book, as it seemed more within the spirit of Wikipedia to refer readers to a source that is freely accessible online, and that in turn contains hundreds of further references to reputable sources. Also, citing the thesis avoids the impression that I am trying to market my book via Wikipedia.

Please advise how to proceed in future. Thanks!

Till Bruckner (talk) 15:15, 19 July 2015 (UTC)
 * LAP Lambert seems to work using a self-publishing model so your thesis is a self-published source. The key is "use theses that have been cited in the literature". Your point #3 helps - do you have more examples? --Neil N  talk to me 15:46, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Only this review, by a noted Georgia expert (and fellow PhD holder): http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R286OVEPO141C1/

Otherwise, numerous Transparency International Georgia (very reputable org) publications that I authored and on which the thesis heavily draws, look under "TIG" in the bibliography, and various other publications on the subject by myself: https://www.scribd.com/doc/78025140/Publications-on-Aid-Accountability-by-Till-Bruckner

Finally, check out the bibliography of the thesis, it's tightly referenced to hundreds of reputable sources. I prefer citing the thesis rather than the individual papers it draws on as I think that it provides the most comprehensive starting point for readers who want to dive deeper into the subject. Also, I've also considered "Uni of Bristol" to be seal of academic quality.

OK or not to cite it? You have the last word. RSVP.

Looking forward, on specialist niche subjects, can I cite quality journalism of my own that is published by reputable outlets? Examples: https://www.devex.com/news/the-paradox-of-aid-to-resource-rich-countries-85964 https://www.devex.com/news/megabucks-for-megawatts-how-morocco-sold-donors-on-its-billion-dollar-solar-gamble-86131

I'm a researcher and journalist so when I learn about something, I usually also publish on it. RSVP II.

Thanks for your time! I'm new to this  :))

Till Bruckner (talk) 16:37, 19 July 2015 (UTC)
 * You may run into editors that think you're running afoul of our conflict of interest guidelines. The accepted practice when using material you authored is to propose the change on the article's talk page and see what others say. If you do this, let me know and I will try to help out. --Neil N  talk to me 17:23, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

OK, thanks!

Content and citations
You've probably noticed by now, how it takes some time to learn what type of content is acceptable for inclusion in an encyclopedia. Separately, to make meaningful contributions, you should follow citation style, as described at Template:Citation. Good luck! — RCraig09 (talk) 01:29, 10 June 2024 (UTC)


 * Thank you! Till Bruckner (talk) 20:45, 10 June 2024 (UTC)