In mid-career, I worked on a paper with an out-of-discipline colleague. We had received a review package & were responding to comments
I asked: what do you think of this suggested citation?
They responded: um. That doesn’t matter. You don’t know if it is a reviewer or not. We include it.
We had a conversation about suggested citations, their ethics, & the bottom line - to include or not to include them in the paper.
What did we talk about?
Suggested citations are helpful bc they make it clear what you want addressed. They add clarity to what must be done.
First, most reviewers offered citations to help move a paper forward (the obvious).
This reminded me of a reviewer who cited an obscure text - that we had to buy - to address a theoretical concern.
Second, some reviewers offer citations without much reflection - based on a google search or a hazy memory or things they used in their own work.
This reminded me of a reviewer who insisted on a discredited approach to common method bias.
Third, a rare reviewer considered not using a suggested citation an insult.
This reminded me of a reviewer who wrote ‘I told you to’ & then skewered my papers.
Note: this happened to me recently (again).
We roamed on to discuss the ethics of asking for citations to your work.
So when to ask for citations to your work?
We agreed that you should only ask for citations to your work - cautiously - for two reasons.
First, it’s an ethical slippery slope. It’s not appropriate to force people to cite your work - unless it’s super relevant.
Once you have made one compromises it’s too easy to make others.
Second, it’s not a good look to editors. Usually an editor has a broad grasp of the literature. They will know what is up.
Asking for citations to your work can leave a sour taste in an editor’s mouth.
So what is the bottom line?
Unless a suggested citation is clearly not relevant, work it into the paper - especially if it does not impact the paper’s quality or clarity.
If it undermines the paper, offer a crisp explanation for why you didn’t use it.
Or be bold, ignore the reviewer suggestions, and hope for rhe best.
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