I am still very new to magic, although I have put together a quality collection of hardcopy books, .pdf's, DVD, downloads, tricks, and props so far.

I have spent too many years in school over the years, and currently the program chair of both a masters and doctoral academic / training program. My professional field takes the crediting of sources seriously, and it is entirely unethical to publish ideas founded upon pre-existing content without properly citing and referencing the source.

Citing is where you connect an idea to a source, and referencing is where you provide your audience with the information necessary for them to find the source.

I have seen some excellent examples in the magic content which I own where the magician has cited a source, and gives full credit to the originator. I only have a couple of examples where a magician has referenced a citation.

Unfortunately, I have been surprised at how many times someone will teach something without giving proper credit, especially with the citation. On one DVD I have, the magician has called a product by their last name, and make no mention of being influenced by previous sources. I really though they came up with their own stuff. Then, I purchase another DVD on the same type of trick, only to learn that a majority of that content was founded upon the same principles. The 2nd DVD does cite a source for the technique from where they learned how they do the trick, but upon further investigation, the cited source is not completely original either.

While I understand that teaching magic does not necessarily occur within an academic realm, I would hope that we could do more of this as magicians. It gives credit and respect based on the source, and also assists others in locating the original source in order to more fully understand where the information they are being taught comes from.

I am wondering what limitations currently exist which limits the crediting of sources in regards to magic instructional content, and what we can do to improve it?

Limitations? Laziness, entitlement, lack of proper examples.

@ HABABERO!

"Me, too!"

I started out, long before the internet(1940s)! When I wrote "Dick Oslund -- Road Scholar", which is basically about LYCEUM (the school assembly field of performing) I filled it with anecdotes of performers that I met, and learned from. I described their shows in as much detail as possible. Further, I explained how "Lyceum started", and why. There are a "gezillion" anecdotes of "things that happened on the road, over 50 years of touring.

I wrote up in detail, the tricks & routines that I used successfully in that very demanding area of "$how bu$ine$$". In most cases, I explained from whom, or at least where, I got the "idea", or other information. I listed names of mentors, and, other sources.

Now, I'm retired! --I never once even dreamed, as a teenager, that, someday I would write a book that is being sold on four continents! It will never be on the "best seller list", but, it IS selling steadily! --And, I get many "unsolicited testimonials" (as Eddie Tullock would say) from happy customers thanking me for writing it!!!