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Contested memory: Notes on Robert K. Merton’s“the Thomas Theorem and the Matthew Effect”

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Conclusion

Merton’s 1995 article shows the sociological complexity of a question that appears on the surface to be a simple one: Who wrote,“ If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences”? Yet, simple things can be stated simply: the evidence for W. I. Thomas’s authorship of this sentence is far from conclusive; therefore I believe it should be attributed to both authors of the book in which it appears. It is ironic that Merton, having spent much of his professional career studying the role of citations in science, bears some responsibility for the lack of credit Dorothy Swaine Thomas has received regarding these words. This incident should therefore act as a cautionary tale about what happens when we stray too far from the scholarly practice of documenting our sources, even though we may believe we have good reasons for doing so. I am averse, however, to conclude my response to Merton’s article on a strident note. My hope is that this episode will help us move toward a“new era” of not the politically but the scholarly correct citation. It would be a pity if this issue leads to citation wars where old scores are settled and political correctness wins out over scholarly civility. On this point, I am sure Merton and I can both agree.

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  1. Department of Sociology, Brandeis University, 02254-9110, Waltham, MA

    R. S. Smith

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Smith, R.S. Contested memory: Notes on Robert K. Merton’s“the Thomas Theorem and the Matthew Effect”. Am Soc 30, 62–77 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-999-1017-3

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