Self-citation practices in applied linguistics: A bibliometric review

Like other questionable research practices (QRPs) discussed in this issue, self-citation can range from fitting and appropriate to self-serving and unethical (Ioannidis, 2015). The present study sought to estimate self-citation patterns using a large, representative sample of applied linguistics research articles (K = 969). Our results indicate a median of 1 self-citation per paper (2% of all references) at the individual author level (median = 3 or 5% at the author-team or article level). However, much higher rates of self-citation were also observed among individual authors and author-teams (max = 23 and 31, respectively). We explore these and other results in the context of QRPs and in light of bibliometric research from other disciplines. We also consider our findings in relation to the incentive structures in academia. Recommendations for future research are provided along with suggestions for preventing and addressing excessive self-citation for different stakeholders (e.g., journals, institutions, learned societies).