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Article published In: Questionable Research Practices in Applied Linguistics
Edited by Luke Plonsky
[Journal of Second Language Studies 8:2] 2025
► pp. 264–280

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Self-citation practices in applied linguistics

A bibliometric review

 | Northern Arizona University, USA
 | University of Maryland College Park, USA
Published online: 23 September 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.00052.plo
Abstract
Like other questionable research practices (QRPs) discussed in this issue, self-citation can range from fitting and appropriate to self-serving and unethical (Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2015). A generalized view of self-citation: Direct, co-author, collaborative, and coercive induced self-citation. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 781, 7–11. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). 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).
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.The present study
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Sample
    • 4.2Data collection instrument
    • 4.3Procedures
    • 4.4Data analysis
  • 5.Results
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Ways forward
  • 8.Future research
  • 9.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Note
  • References
References (30)
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