The Ombudsman: Who's at Fawlt at Fawlty Towers? Commentaries on the Citation Dilemma

The Issues There are two main issues: the first is the problem of citation errors in our literature; the second is what to do about this problem. Reading WA (2) to indicate to readers the most important and useful studies in the field; (3) to acknowledge sources of ideas, methods, or quotations; and (4) to impress readers, referees, and editors.” While one might refine or expand the list (e.g., Martin himself mentions “rivalry citation omission”), he stresses one critical point: “If the source is methodologically central, then careful reading is essential.” He disagrees with the need to provide exhaustive citations or read all sources completely. Uncles is concerned with excessive and redundant citations, stating, “the sheer density of referencing is out of control.” Indeed, a few decades ago, I could scan an article’s references and know the (manageable) prerequisites for reading it. If I applied the same rule today, I would be perpetually engaged in catching up and would never read anything new. Uncles’ prescription and goals are simple: cite better and cite less. While his argument is compelling, incentives and institutional norms oppose those goals (see below). A&W’s reply provides a manageable list of five action items. I concur with the first four and a relaxed form of the fifth (“attempt to contact that author to confirm the citation accuracy”). The last action item should be relaxed to “ensure that you fully understand (and cite) the substantive and methodological foundations of your work.” When one is at all in doubt about understanding a citation, there are good reasons to err on the side of making such contacts to get that assurance. Most of us are proud of our work and seek to have it used and interpreted appropriately. Hence, an important and unstated takeaway for young researchers should be: “Don’t hesitate to contact those whose work you cite for clarification or advice.” They will be flattered, almost certainly will