Scholarly conformity: Origins, framework, applications and implications

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of social conformity and provides a theoretical framework to conceptualize and operationalize scholarly conformity, a specific type of social conformity in the process of scholarly communication. It proposes that scholarly conformity can be conceptualized and operationalized by citations (which constitute by the most formal and official way to show "attachment" and "conformity" to authorities and/or popularities). It suggests that one of the most important applications of scholarly conformity is to indicate the evolution of a research community as five phrases of a life cycle. Potentials and limitations of studies in this issue are also provided.