No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Cite the Good Cite: Making Citations in Political Science More Transparent
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 August 2021
Abstract
Political science research aims for greater transparency. Authors are increasingly expected to share their data and methodology so that readers and reviewers can follow their line of argument and replicate their findings. However, citations of books, articles, and other secondary sources in the discipline are still predominantly general, referring to entire works rather than specific parts of them. This article addresses the problem of the overuse of general citations as a disciplinary norm in political science. An analysis of articles published in five top-tier journals in 2019 reveals that only around 10% of the citations in these articles provide detailed source information (e.g., page numbers and location information) and identifies some of the causes for this scarcity. The article calls for more transparent citation norms in the discipline, suggests preliminary steps toward this goal, and proposes solutions for the challenges posed by the increasing use of digital sources.
- Type
- Article
- Information
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association
References
REFERENCES
American Political Science Association. 2018
. Style Manual for Political Science: Revised 2018 Edition. https://web.archive.org/web/20201013003348/; https://mk0apsaconnectbvy6p6.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2020/07/Style-Manual-for-Political-Science-July-2020-Revision.pdf.Google Scholar
Baron, Naomi S. 2015. Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Burbules, Nicholas C. 2015. “The Changing Functions of Citation: From Knowledge Networking to Academic Cash-Value.” Paedagogica Historica 51:716–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00309230.2015.1051553.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connors, Robert J. 1999. “The Rhetoric of Citation Systems—Part II: Competing Epistemic Values in Citation.” Rhetoric Review 17:219–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/07350199909359242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, Blaise. 1984. The Citation Process: The Role and Significance of Citations in Scientific Communication. London: T. Graham.Google Scholar
Donovan, Stephen K. 2008. “On Accuracy in References.” Learned Publishing 21:74–75. https://doi.org/10.1087/095315108X254494.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunleavy, Patrick. 2017. “Citations Are More Than Merely Assigning Credit: Their Inclusion (or Not) Conditions How Colleagues Regard and Evaluate Your Work.” Impact of Social Sciences blog, April 6. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731062254/; https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2017/04/06/citations-are-more-than-merely-assigning-credit.Google Scholar
Dunleavy, Patrick, Park, Alice, and Taylor, Ros (eds.). 2018. The UK’s Changing Democracy: The 2018 Democratic Audit. London: LSE Press. https://doi.org/10.31389/book1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaikwad, Nikhar, Herrera, Veronica, and Mickey, Robert W.. 2019. “Text-Based Sources.” Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3332891.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galvan, José L., and Galvan, Melisa. 2017. Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. New York: Routledge.10.4324/9781315229386CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerring, John, and Cojocaru, Lee. 2016. “Arbitrary Limits to Scholarly Speech: Why (Short) Word Limits Should Be Abolished.” Qualitative and Multi-Method Research. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.823308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grossman, Jonathan. 2021. “Replication Data for: ‘Cite the Good Cite: Making Citations in Political Science More Transparent.’” Harvard Dataverse. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/KHLK5S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henige, David. 2006. “Discouraging Verification: Citation Practices across the Disciplines.” Journal of Scholarly Publishing 37:99–118. https://doi.org/10.3138/jsp.37.2.99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, Joli. 2017. Write No Matter What: Advice for Academics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Kapiszewski, Diana, and Karcher, Sebastian. 2021. “Transparency in Practice in Qualitative Research.” PS: Political Science & Politics 54 (2): 285–91. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096520000955.Google Scholar
Karcher, Sebastian, and Weber, Nicholas. 2019. “Annotation for Transparent Inquiry: Transparent Data and Analysis for Qualitative Research.” IASSIST Quarterly 43:1–9. https://doi.org/10.29173/iq959.Google Scholar
Leatham, Keith R. 2015. “Research Commentary: Observations on Citation Practices in Mathematics Education Research.” Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 46:253–69. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.46.3.0253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lieberman, Evan S. 2010. “Bridging the Qualitative–Quantitative Divide: Best Practices in the Development of Historically Oriented Replication Databases.” Annual Review of Political Science 13:37–59. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.12.041007.155222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madigan, Robert, Johnson, Susan, and Linton, Patricia. 1995. “The Language of Psychology: APA Style as Epistemology.” American Psychologist 50:428–36. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.6.428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McInnis, Raymond G., and Symes, Dal. 1988. “David Riesman and the Concept of Bibliographic Citation.” College & Research Libraries 49:387–99. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl_49_05_387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merton, Robert King. 1996.
On Social Structure and Science. Edited by Piotr Sztompka. Heritage of Sociology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Moravcsik, Andrew. 2010. “Active Citation: A Precondition for Replicable Qualitative Research.” PS: Political Science & Politics 43:29–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096510990781.Google Scholar
Nicolaisen, Jeppe, and Frandsen, Tove Faber. 2021. “Number of References: A Large-Scale Study of Interval Ratios.” Scientometrics 126:259–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03764-3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papandrew, David. 2020. “A Solution to Podcast Note-Taking? Look to the Airr App.” Mental Pivot (blog), September 15. https://web.archive.org/web/20210124192721/; https://mentalpivot.com/a-solution-to-podcast-note-taking-look-to-the-airr-app.Google Scholar
Pears, Richard, and Shields, Graham J.. 2010. Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide. Eighth edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.10.1007/978-0-230-29155-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rekdal, Ole Bjørn. 2014. “Academic Citation Practice: A Sinking Sheep?” Portal: Libraries and the Academy 14 (4): 567–85.10.1353/pla.2014.0025CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trachtenberg, Marc. 2015. “Transparency in Practice: Using Written Sources.” Newsletter of the APSA Organized Section for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research 13:13–17. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.893089.Google Scholar
Grossman supplementary material
Online Appendix
PDF
329.4 KB