Jack Lynch wrote:
Regrding anti-expert bias, does anyone think verifiable experts should be allowed to cite themselves when editing wiki articles relating to their skills? I'm not sure what I think, but it seems an important question. I can definitely see it being a major step towards a citable, peer-reviewed journal level of quality.
I don't see how that would help at all; quite the opposite. I'm not in favor of a blanket prohibition against citing yourself, but it should be viewed with caution and vetted by others.
This isn't unique to Wikipedia, anyway. In "real" academic publications, the same caveat applies: People are much more likely to cite themselves in situations where it is not really appropriate to do so. This is why, when citation indices are compiled, self-citations aren't included in the counts.
-Mark