Plusreference

Plusreference is a term used in the field of information science and bibliometrics to describe a citation or reference that is not directly related to the content of the citing work. Instead, it is included for the purpose of boosting the cited work's citation count, often to enhance its perceived importance or influence. This practice is sometimes referred to as "citation stacking" or "salami publishing."

Plusreferences can take various forms, including:

1. Self-citations: A work citing itself.

2. Citation of a related but not directly relevant work.

3. Citation of a work by the same author or institution.

4. Citation of a work that has already cited the target work.

The use of plusreferences is controversial, as it can distort the true impact and influence of a work. It can also lead to inflated citation counts, which are often used as a proxy for a work's quality or importance. As a result, many journals and institutions have policies against the use of plusreferences, and some bibliometric databases exclude them from their citation counts.

Despite the controversy, plusreferences remain a common practice in academic publishing. They are often used by authors who are looking to increase their citation counts, or by journals that are looking to increase their impact factor. However, the long-term effects of plusreferences on the academic community are still a topic of debate.