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Re: Students as Independent Researchers



We frequently get requests from reseachers who wish to hire
a student to do research for them.  What I do is to refer them to
students who have some knowledge of Special Collections/Archives
(whether our trained student assistants, volunteers, or history
students who have learned to do research) after checking with
students to see if this is something they can do.

The firm point to the requestor is that (1) this research "contract"
is between them and the student; (2) our reference is simply to
pass along names of people willing to do research for a fee; we
do not guarantee the student's work, etc....this is independent of
our department and university.

This latter point is, I think, very important.   At one time, an Attorney
General of another state inquired about our liability because a
genealogist had contracted with a person (whom we had referred
to) and the genealogist was upset with having spent $500 and
gotten nothing.   I could never figure out from the letters that were
passed along and original complaint of fraud whether the contract
person had NOT done the work or whether simply had done the
work, but just not found the information the genealogist wanted.

So there is an issue of liability here.   The other point to make is
that even if the student performs the research....let's say ten hours
at $5.25 scanning newspapers, there may be no results because
there was NOT an obituary.    I would stay away from using
student assistants doing this while they are on duty, too.

Dean

Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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