A question for research-y people on my f-list

[deelaundry]

Is it just me, or is an author citing his own articles as reinforcement of his ideas kind of... not right?

However, research (AUTHOR NAME 2003a) shows that the more typical ... can often be motivated by ... [author's idea].

This same body of research (AUTHOR NAME 2003a; AUTHOR NAME & SECOND NAME 2000) disputed claims by some scholars ... that the practice of ... [claim of other scholars]. [Quote from different author.]

Additional study (AUTHOR NAME 2004, 2005) seconded this perspective and the notion that [Quote] (AUTHOR NAME & SECOND NAME 2000)

Comments

[vitawash24.livejournal.com]

It certainly shouldn't be the only thing he's referencing. But I know my old boss' work built on his previous work, so he did need to cite the results of his own studies sometimes. I think it also happens when the field isn't that big - in my medically unexplained illness class, the authors seem to be constantly citing themselves, but I assume it's because there aren't that many people studying the subject and finding results...

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

The author's field does seem to be relatively small (from my outsider perspective), so that's a good point. It seemed strange to have so many self-citations in a row about a single idea, and the phrasing of "additional study seconded this perspective" seemed disingenous, but a small pool of research/analysis to pull from would definitely limit your options.