Citation Manipulation

 

Citation manipulation involves adding, requesting, removing, or organizing references for inappropriate purposes, particularly when the practice is intended to artificially influence citation counts, bibliometric indicators, journal metrics, or perceived academic impact.

Examples
  • Adding irrelevant references solely to increase citation counts.
  • Coercing authors to cite particular publications without legitimate academic relevance.
  • Excessive and unjustified self-citation.
  • Excessive citation of articles from a particular journal without scholarly justification.
  • Coordinated citation practices intended primarily to manipulate metrics.
  • Removing relevant references solely to alter citation patterns.
Responsible Referencing

References should be selected based on relevance, credibility, scientific quality, and their contribution to the argument or analysis. Authors, reviewers, and editors should not manipulate citations for personal, institutional, or journal-level benefit.