[ariel]

Alan and Fernando,
Perhaps I did not myself clear enough.
I presented general “ academic “ rules of scientific research. And by “academic”
I did not mean that the research should be conducted within the ivory towers or by holders of PhD degrees.
Anybody could attempt to conduct research work. This can only be encouraged. But to be not only printable but also valid and respectable, the work should be conducted according to the general rules.

Thus, there are different levels of involvement in “research”. On the internet Fora, including the present one, most of communications are requests for help to demonstration of rare and potentially revealing examples and series of related examples demonstrating some similarities or time changes. The latter is as close to the “ hardcore” research as possible and should do its best to follow the “rules” ( sometimes it may be difficult to impossible, and the rest of participants should understand and accept it),

The next level is a “research article”. This is published in a journal or proceeding of a conference. Here adherence to the “ rules” is mandatory and external peer review is routine. Still, this may be a bit freewheeling” and can restrict its conclusions to “ offering a hypothesis” and opening it to critique and retesting.

The ultimate level is a full book. This is a summary of all we know for now about a particular field. It still can be offering hypotheses, but those can be presented in a non- biased and complete set of pros-and -cons. It requires as close adherence to the “rules” as possible, assumes critical analysis of the available data, use of statistics ( if possible) and of course absolute adherence to truthful information, without omissions of contradictory opinions and facts.
Description of examples should be complete, with references to other similar objects, analysis of inscriptions and decorations to tie them to other similar properly dated and attributed examples.

This is as concise as possible and we can expand our conditions . Can a book contain errors? Regretfully, no book will be free of them: the half-life of facts is a reality. But it should be as ideal as possible on the day it goes to print.

I know of several books from different authors and countries that qualify as “The Book” only by the number of pages and a hard cover. Some partially compensate by showing good images ( the so-called “ coffee-table” volumes) , many load as many identical examples without any analysis, believing that quantity is going to pad up quality. Some books are results of personal vanity of the author, intended of showing his/her collection before putting it for sale. By the same token, I know several catalogues of personal collections that unquestionably qualify as real academic works ( Moser, Buttin, Nordlunde, Hales, Pinchot’s catalogue of Wagner’s collection et cet.). Some are the worst : pure personal vanity ( “ I am not just a reader, I am a writer”) is the only driving force ( hint: jambiyas, but not by Gracie).

So, overall, there is a full spectrum of at least some contributions to real research: from asking a question the answer to which clarifies the issue and freewheeling exchange of opinions to full books addressing a wide swath of issues ( Rivkin and Isaac’s ” The study of the Eastern sword») as well as focussed on a particular variety ( Khorasani’s “Arms and Armor from Iran”»).

All are valuable to different degrees, but each next level requires stricter and stricter adherence to the appropriate set of the “Rules”.

Disclaimer: all names and titles are just the first ones to jump into mind. One can ask me about my particular opinion on other books, but I shall defer to the unified opinion of the Moderators.
No examples of European or Far( ther) Eastern topics were mentioned simply because I know nothing about them.