Selective citation
From The Embassy of Good Science
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ThemesSelective citation
What is this about?
Selective citation refers to biased ways of looking at the body of previously published work and involves cherry-picking when using available knowledge.
Why is this important?
Being selective in using previously published work results in biased and/or incomplete conclusions. This endangers the integrity of claims, and harms society’s trust in research because it creates unfounded authority (1). Selective citations affect authors of previously published work, whether they are cited or not. It also affects readers of research hoping that it is accurate and unbiased. Other parties that might be impacted by selective citations are researchers conducting meta-analyses that synthesize a body of published work, decision making agencies that rely on accurate research results, as well as regulatory/oversight bodies of the research landscape.
For whom is this important?
StudentsPhD StudentsScientistsResearchersSupervisorsPostdocsJournal publishersJournal editorsJunior researchersSenior researchersReviewers
What are the best practices?
The correct use of previously published material does not involve selective citation to enhance one’s own findings or to please editors, reviewers or colleagues (2). References to published material should not be used to promote self-interests (3). Nuanced use of previously published material involves using resources in a neutral and unbiased way.
Examples of citation in the scientific and popular literature
Journal articles:
- Selective citation in the literature on the hygiene hypothesis: a citation analysis on the association between infections and rhinitis
- Selective Citation of Evidence Regarding Photoreceptor Loss in Glaucoma
- Selective citation in the literature on swimming in chlorinated water and childhood asthma: a network analysis
Blog sphere:
News outlets:
The Embassy Editorial team, The Embassy editorial team, Giulia Inguaggiato, Iris Lechner, Natalie Evans, Mohammad Hosseini contributed to this theme. Latest contribution was Feb 03, 2021
