arXiv · 2405.16526
Past, Present, and Future of Citation Practices in HCI
Abstract
Science is a complex system comprised of many scientists who individually make decisions that, due to the size and nature of the academic system, largely do not affect the system as a whole. However, certain decisions at the meso-level of research communities, such as the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community, may result in deep and long-lasting behavioral changes in scientists. In this article, we provide empirical evidence on how a change in editorial policies introduced at the ACM CHI Conference in 2016 destabilized the CHI research community and launched it on an expansive path, denoted by a year-by-year increase in the mean number of references included in CHI articles. If this near-linear trend continues undisrupted, an article at CHI 2030 will include on average almost 130 references. The trend toward more citations reflects a citation culture where quantity is prioritized over quality, contributing to both author and peer reviewer fatigue. Our exploratory analysis highlights the profound impact of meso-level policy adjustments on the evolution of scientific fields and disciplines, urging all stakeholders to carefully consider the broader implications of such changes.
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Jonas Oppenlaender. 2024-05-26. Past, Present, and Future of Citation Practices in HCI. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713556
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