Origins and implications of proper citation practices on academic integrity in surgical literature

Abstract

Citations are a fundamental component of scientific literature that allows researchers to expand on previous research findings and drive knowledge forward; however, they are often used as a metric for academic performance to compare researchers, institutions, and journals.1 Citation metrics are especially important in surgical specialties, where high research productivity is an expectation and is necessary for residency matching, promotion, and tenure.2 There has been much recent debate on the use of citation metrics such as impact factor (IF) and h-index in determining academic performance, which fail to consider a publication’s quality and contribution to the field.