Conflicts over proper attribution can arise in any of these places. Citations serve many purposes in a scientific paper. They acknowledge the work of other scientists, direct the reader toward additional sources of information, acknowl- edge conflicts with other results, and provide support for the views expressed in the paper. More broadly, citations place a paper within its scientific context, relating it to the present state of scientific knowledge. Failure to cite the work of others can give rise to more than just hard feelings.
Citations are part of the reward system of science.
They are connected to funding decisions and to the future careers of researchers. More generally, the misallocation of credit undermines the incentive system for publication. Ben, a third-year graduate student, had been working on a research project that involved an important new experimental technique. After his presentation, he was surprised and pleased when Dr. Freeman, a leading researcher from another uni- versity, engaged him in an extended conversation. Six months later Ben was leafing through a journal when he noticed an article by Dr. Freeman.