I know I am being argumentative, but this is a subject that I started arguing back at college when our professors thought we had more access than we did. The other students would just shut down, and believed that they must be doing something wrong when they were not. And the more students were locked out, the less opportunity they had to practice finding sites. And research leads to research, and resources to resources. They were just locked out and silent: silent in the class, silent in their assignments, silent in the world, silent to their children and grandchildren. When they are were told they were lazy, they just looked down. And they didn't look up until the only white person with high grades took on the professor insisting that we were not any of those things, but just poor and locked out because of our poverty. Point for point, I proved that we did not have access to each and every thing the professor said that we had but that we did not have, until I got yelled at. If I lost my perfect 4.0 it was worth it. This topic made me that mad. As soon as I saw one of those men just look down, my grades meant NOTHING. Higher education is not meant to perpetuate the silence of marginalized people. The internet is not meant to increase the disparity in access to resources.
Secular mess about academic writing has leaked into churches. We need to reevaluate what parts of it belong in the body of Christ. If someone isn't using great sources, how about we provide a similar one that we think is better, and do it in such a way that steers people instead of shuts them down?
When I took this subject head on and asked for sources in the seminary forum, I was given some, but most looked more usable than they really were, and eventually, I found better ones on my own. I don't think those of you with easy access to what is behind the paywalls are all that familiar with the reality of what is not behind the paywalls, just like my college professors. And I think many professors do not want to know. With knowledge comes responsibility.
I don't like talking like this, and often won't to defend myself, but this is bigger than me. The church has a mission. Higher education and Christian forums have missions. Secular academic rules and customs need to evaluated before they are brought into the church. Some don't belong here at all, and some need some tweaking.
Wow. You know nothing about my college other than what I wrote here, yet you are accusing us of allowing secular standards into our church. Somehow, you are thinking that our policies match whatever schools you have attended.
FYI:
1. Our college is under the umbrella of a local, Bible-believing NT church.
2. We are not accredited and never will be, so secular organizations have no right to tell us what to do.
3. Our academic policies are based on a high standard of academics (ours, not the world's), and what is ethical, right and honest.
4. We consider our school to be preparing spiritual special forces, not mudsloggers. Therefore, we believe high standards are important and necessary.
5. No student has to come to our school (unless parents make them, but those either get right or quit). They come here voluntarily and embrace our standards.
6. I guide my students. I tell them where to find sources. I loan them books out of my own library freely. I give them feedback about their assignments. I give them a bibliography from my own library of books about the subject I am teaching from which they can borrow. As I Bible college professor, I am a mentor, and do my best to guide the students.
7, One more word about Wikipedia. It is anonymous, and I believe that is unethical in the academic world. A writer ought to stand up and take credit or blame for what is written. Most people here that I interact with know exactly who I am, and I interact with some outside of the BB. My name is John R. Himes, and I teach at Baptist College of Ministry. I don't hide it. (I do have one friend on here who is pretty anonymous, but he has very good reasons. I do not divulge his name here or his identity, yet I read all of his posts with interest.)
I could say a lot more, but I'll stop. God bless.
P. S. I never send a student to a paywall. The sources I help them with are free. On occasion I will send a student a PDF of an article that will be useful to him or her.
