How can we investigate citation behavior? A study of reasons for citing literature in communication

Authorsʹ motivations for citing documents are addressed through a literature review and an empirical study. Replicating an investigation in psychology, the works of two highly-cited authors in the discipline of communication were identified, and all of the authors who cited them during the period 1995–1997 were surveyed. The instrument posed 32 questions about why a certain document was cited, plus questions about the citerʹs relationship to the cited author and document. Most findings were similar to the psychology study, including a tendency to cite “concept markers” representing a genre of work. Authors in communication were more likely to have an interpersonal connection to cited authors, and to cite literature reviews—their most common reason for citation. Three types of judgments about cited works were found to best predict citation: (1) that the work was novel, well-known, and a concept-marker; (2) that citing it might promote the authority of oneʹs own work; and (3) that the work deserved criticism. Suggestions are made for further research, especially regarding the anomalous role of creativity in cited works.