Real-world examples of citation statement classifications with examples explaining why a citation type has or has not been assigned. Citation classifications are based on the following two requirements: there needs to be a written indication that the statement supports or contrasts the cited paper; and there needs to be an indication that it provides evidence for this assertion.
| Citation statement . | Classification . | Explanation . |
|---|---|---|
| “In agreement with previous work (Nicholson et al., 2015), the trisomic clones showed similar aberrations, albeit to a lesser extent (Supplemental Figure S2B).” | Supporting | “In agreement with previous work” indicates support, while “the trisomic clones showed similar aberrations, albeit to a lesser degree (Supplemental Figure S2B)” provides evidence for this supporting statement. |
| “In contrast to several studies in anxious adults that examined amygdala activation to angry faces when awareness was not restricted (Phan, Fitzgerald, Nathan, & Tancer, 2006; Stein, Goldin, Sareen, Zorrilla, & Brown, 2002; Stein, Simmons, Feinstein, & Paulus, 2007), we found no group differences in amygdala activation.” | Contrasting | “In contrast to several studies” indicates a contrast between the study and studies cited, while “we found no group differences in amygdala activation” indicates a difference in findings. |
| “The amygdala is a key structure within a complex circuit devoted to emotional interpretation, evaluation and response (Stein et al., 2002; Phan et al., 2006).” | Mentioning | This citation statement refers to Phan et al. (2006) without providing evidence that supports or contrasts the claims made in the cited study. |
| “In social cognition, the amygdala plays a central role in social reward anticipation and processing of ambiguity [87]. Consistent with these findings, amygdala involvement has been outlined as central in the pathophysiology of social anxiety disorders [27], [88].” | Mentioning | Here, the statement “consistent with these findings” sounds supportive, but, in fact, cites two previous studies: [87] and [27] without providing evidence for either. Such cites can be valuable, as they establish connections between observations made by others, but they do not provide primary evidence to support or contrast the cited studies. Hence, this citation statement is classified as mentioning. |
| “For example, a now-discredited article purporting a link between vaccination and autism (Wakefield et al., 1998) helped to dissuade many parents from obtaining vaccination for their children.” | Mentioning | This citation statement describes the cited paper critically and with negative sentiment but there is no indication that it presents primary contrasting evidence, thus this statement is classified as mentioning. |
| Citation statement . | Classification . | Explanation . |
|---|---|---|
| “In agreement with previous work (Nicholson et al., 2015), the trisomic clones showed similar aberrations, albeit to a lesser extent (Supplemental Figure S2B).” | Supporting | “In agreement with previous work” indicates support, while “the trisomic clones showed similar aberrations, albeit to a lesser degree (Supplemental Figure S2B)” provides evidence for this supporting statement. |
| “In contrast to several studies in anxious adults that examined amygdala activation to angry faces when awareness was not restricted (Phan, Fitzgerald, Nathan, & Tancer, 2006; Stein, Goldin, Sareen, Zorrilla, & Brown, 2002; Stein, Simmons, Feinstein, & Paulus, 2007), we found no group differences in amygdala activation.” | Contrasting | “In contrast to several studies” indicates a contrast between the study and studies cited, while “we found no group differences in amygdala activation” indicates a difference in findings. |
| “The amygdala is a key structure within a complex circuit devoted to emotional interpretation, evaluation and response (Stein et al., 2002; Phan et al., 2006).” | Mentioning | This citation statement refers to Phan et al. (2006) without providing evidence that supports or contrasts the claims made in the cited study. |
| “In social cognition, the amygdala plays a central role in social reward anticipation and processing of ambiguity [87]. Consistent with these findings, amygdala involvement has been outlined as central in the pathophysiology of social anxiety disorders [27], [88].” | Mentioning | Here, the statement “consistent with these findings” sounds supportive, but, in fact, cites two previous studies: [87] and [27] without providing evidence for either. Such cites can be valuable, as they establish connections between observations made by others, but they do not provide primary evidence to support or contrast the cited studies. Hence, this citation statement is classified as mentioning. |
| “For example, a now-discredited article purporting a link between vaccination and autism (Wakefield et al., 1998) helped to dissuade many parents from obtaining vaccination for their children.” | Mentioning | This citation statement describes the cited paper critically and with negative sentiment but there is no indication that it presents primary contrasting evidence, thus this statement is classified as mentioning. |