I could understand how this would grant weight behind the opinions of one with such qualifications in a field, however, this does not make their conjecture (however educated it is) anything other then conjecture and neither does it mean that they are any less required to provide evidence to support their claims.
It is perfectly valid to point to someone else's research in place of doing your own. So long as you understand that this opens you up to any criticisms their research might be worth receiving, including the fact that it may not be based on sound evidence or any evidence at all.
Jon
Love your enemies!
™ Version 4.2
