undercited

Undercited is an adjective used to describe writing in which claims, data, or ideas are not adequately supported by references. In academic work, undercitation occurs when authors rely on assertions without providing appropriate attribution to the sources that support them, or when key sources that contextualize a claim are omitted. Undercitation can involve omitting citations for well-established facts, misattributing evidence, or failing to link specific claims to the precise sources.

Causes include incomplete literature reviews, time pressure, overreliance on a small set of sources, disciplinary norms that undervalue citations, and barriers such as access or language. It can also arise from the use of primary data or original ideas that the author treats as self-evident.

Consequences include reduced credibility, hindered reproducibility, and a distorted sense of the evidentiary basis for conclusions. In bibliometric terms, undercitation can also reflect biases in what gets cited, potentially undervaluing relevant work and skewing impact assessments.

Prevention and remediation involve conducting thorough literature searches, using citation management tools, explicitly linking claims to specific sources, and seeking peer feedback on citation adequacy. Following discipline-specific style guides and practicing transparent attribution for data, methods, and quotations helps ensure traceability and scholarly rigor.