The norms of citation behavior: Prolegomena to the footnote

Abstract The publications explosion has focused renewed attention on the lowly footnote. While we are all at least partially aware of the technical functions of the citation for both the writer and the reader of the scientific paper, little is known about the norms operating in actual practice. Even less is known about the operating norms with respect to the more sociological functions, including the acknowledgement of intellectual debts or the conferral of recognition upon the works of others. This paper reviews the state of our knowledge, raises questions, and proposes suggestions and hypotheses for studying the relationships between footnoting practices among scientists and the social system of science.