Below is an exchange of e-mails between me and Gemma Calvert about one of her articles. The main interest in this exchange is that it is a nice example of the "bogus reference" technique, i.e. giving reference(s) to support some position/assertion which do not actually support the position/assertion. Here the assertion is that "map" is used as a shorthand for "receptive field", but the references she gives clearly show that "map" and "receptive field" are used to mean different things.
The "bogus reference" technique is relying on the reader(s) not to go into the effort of checking the reference. In this case, the references are not exact, which has the advantage that after I check them she can, in principle, claim that I didn't find the references she meant (in this case, though, she simply didn't answer).
The "bogus reference" technique is very common and very effective. What makes the problem worse is that people don't regard bogus references, which are effectively lies, as dishonest moves, so a person that uses the technique don't lose much even when it is found. Therefore it is a safe tool, which at worst will not achieve the intended effect, but will not harm its user.
==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ my first message
==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ Her responseFrom: "Yehouda Harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> To: <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 1:04 PM Subject: Neurons containing maps? In your review "Processing in the Human Brain: Insights from Functional Neuroimaging Studies", http://www.physiol.ox.ac.uk/Research_Groups/Multisensory/Papers/cerebral.pdf , Your write (p.1111, second paragraph): "Each bi- or trisensory neuron in this structure contains a map of sensory space, one for each sense (visual, auditory, tactile) to which it responds." Do the neurons really contain maps? Thanks, Yehouda Harpaz
From: "Gemma Calvert" <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> To: "Yehouda Harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 7:29 PM Subject: Re: Neurons containing maps? On Tue, 21 May 2002, Yehouda Harpaz wrote: > In your review "Processing in the Human Brain: Insights from Functional > Neuroimaging Studies", > http://www.physiol.ox.ac.uk/Research_Groups/Multisensory/Papers/cerebral.pdf > > Your write (p.1111, second paragraph): > > "Each bi- or trisensory neuron in this structure contains a map of > sensory space, one for each sense (visual, auditory, tactile) to which > it responds." > > Do the neurons really contain maps? Shorthand jargon for receptive fields tuned by experience. Hope that wasn't confusing.. Best GC==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ My answer
==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ Her responseFrom: "yehouda harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> To: "Gemma Calvert" <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 8:14 PM Subject: Re: Neurons containing maps? > > Do the neurons really contain maps? > > > Shorthand jargon for receptive fields tuned by experience. Hope that > wasn't confusing.. First time that I see anybody use "map" in this way. Why not use "receptive field" if that what you mean?
From: "Gemma Calvert" <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> To: "yehouda harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 11:31 AM Subject: Re: Neurons containing maps? On Tue, 21 May 2002, yehouda harpaz wrote: > First time that I see anybody use "map" in this way. See Stein et al, King A., et al==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ My answer
==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ Her responseFrom: "Yehouda Harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> To: <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 11:44 AM Subject: Neurons containing maps? > > > First time that I see anybody use "map" in this way. > See Stein et al, King A., et al That is the most accurate reference you can give?
From: "Gemma Calvert" <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> To: "Yehouda Harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 11:38 AM Subject: Re: Neurons containing maps? Sorry - I'm really busy just now - Barry Stein and Andy King have published papers using the term maps. You will no doubt find their work on Medline etc. Cheers GC **************************************************************************** Dr Gemma Calvert Wellcome Trust Research Fellow University Laboratory of Physiology University of Oxford Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PT United Kingdom Tel: 01865 282510 Mobile: 07720 591743 Fax: 01865 272469 ****************************************************************************==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++ My answer
==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++==++From: "Yehouda Harpaz" <yh_maldoo.com> To: <gemma.calvert_physiol.ox.ac.uk> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 12:44 PM Subject: Neurons containing maps? > Sorry - I'm really busy just now - > Barry Stein and Andy King have published papers using the term maps. > You will no doubt find their work on Medline etc. I found this http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/22/8886 Sensory and Multisensory Responses in the Newborn Monkey Superior Colliculus Mark T. Wallace and Barry E. Stein and this http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/18/22/9394 Signals from the Superficial Layers of the Superior Colliculus Enable the Development of the Auditory Space Map in the Deeper Layers Andrew J. King, Jan W. H. Schnupp, and Ian D. Thompson And both of them clearly use "map" to mean different thing than "receptive field".