The Behavior of Citing: A Perspective on Science Communication Across Languages

Abstract

This article addresses the perceptions and behavior of Chinese tourism researchers citing foreign language sources in (for) their own studies. Theoretically sensitized to notions of dissemination of knowledge and science communication, and departing from the ongoing measurement of citation impacts, the study adopts a qualitative approach to the scrutiny of citer perceptions and behavior in the instances of citing sources from other languages. Observations and narratives from in-depth interviews with 24 active Chinese tourism researchers amply speak of the dynamics, politics, subjectivity, and at times irrationality of citing from foreign languages. In particular, the inductive analysis complements traditional scientometric perspectives on citation impacts and provides insights into the motivation, perceived benefits, facilitation, and constraints, as well as (re)presentations of cited ideas in the observed instances of science communication in tourism.

本文旨在探讨中文旅游研究者关于援引外文文献的观念及其援引行为。以知识传播及科学传播为理论背景，且又有别于眼下流行的影响因子测量之方法，本文对中文旅游研究者关于援引外文文献的观念及援引行为，进行了一次定性的归纳分析。通过对二十四位活跃于中文旅游研究领域的同行学者的深入访谈，我们发现，并讨论了援引行为背后的、关于借用外文文献开展中文旅游研究的动力与动机、立场与观点、以及援引行为的主观性与非理性等等问题。本文的讨论，丰富了传统意义上科学影响计量方法的视角与内涵。在跨语言科学思想传播的语境中，本文的探索，还有益于加深对中文旅游研究援引外文文献的动机、援引价值、促成或制约援引的诸多因素、以及援引内容的中文语言表现（或再现）等等问题的认识。

Keywords:

• Citation
• science communication
• language community
• China tourism research

Keywords:

• 文献引用
• 科学传播
• 语言群体
• 中国旅游研究

Acknowledgments

This article is the result of a project funded by a grant from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (A-PC1Z). We are thankful to the 24 active Chinese tourism researchers, without whose participation this study would not have been completed. The assistance of Liu Wei is also gratefully acknowledged.