Induced citation analysis: Development and application of a measurement instrument in a systematic review on...

The pressure to publish and the dynamics of academic publishing have increased the prevalence of paper mills, citation sales, plagiarism, and academic post-truth, posing a risk to academic integrity.

The aim of this study is to develop and validate the induced citation checklist to measure the risks introduced by key citations. Methods. To develop this tool, key citations were extracted from a systematic review of role-playing games. An inductive and iterative thematic analysis was performed on these citations. The checklist was applied, and the results were summarized in the induced citation graph.

The final product, the induced citation checklist, contains five categories, and its application identified widespread issues with citation practices. The most common problem was a lack of 20 empirical foundation. Meanwhile, the induced citation graph provides an intuitive summary of the of the results.

This study highlights the need to consider the biases introduced through citations. In this regard, the induced citation checklist is presented as a valuable tool for improving academic integrity and research practices, and it is simple to apply. The applicability of the checklist extends beyond role-playing games and systematic reviews; therefore, future research should expand its validation across different disciplines.