FYI: Who I choose to cite and why

Feb 24, 2022

If the majority of experiences you have with citations are writing papers for a class, then you probably haven't put a lot of thought into who you're citing. If the source is relevant to your thesis or topic, then you use it!

When developing the idea for this website, I knew I wanted to be a lot more intentional about citing than I had been in the past. I thank Sara Ahmed's Living a Feminist Life for the idea of having a "citation policy".

"In this book, I adopt a strict citation policy: I do not cite any white men...Instead, I cite those who have contributed to the intellectual genealogy of feminism and antiracism." (Sara Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life)

One thing I learned early on in feminist academia is how much work has gone into uncovering and rewriting almost every field dominated by rich white men. Documented histories have smudged cultural legacies, medical reports and studies have erased entire groups of people, and any institution founded by empire and patriarchy (which is most of them) serves the empire's and patriarchy's needs.

If we want to change this and give epistemological authority to those who historically have been silenced and ignored, we need to change the way we seek out knowledge and redistribute it.

"Citation is feminist memory. Citation is how we acknowledge our debt to those who came before...In this book, I cite feminists of color who have contributed to the project of naming and dismantling the institutions of patriarchal whiteness." (Sara Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life)

My citation policy

I actively seek out works created by people who historically have been and currently are marginalized and oppressed. Instead of finding some research study by a couple of white dudes, I will find the study led by women of color.

I try to favor the works of those who have an identity claim to the topic. If I'm trying to find an article on how to be a trans ally, I'm going to look for one that's written by trans people.

I search for works that together show the diversity of feminist and activist communities. When I'm searching for sources, I try to identify creators of diverse backgrounds related to class, race, sexuality, gender, ability, nationality, and more. I believe this is the most effective way to shift the epistemological power without excluding any particular marginalized groups.

I try to find works that can be accessed for free online. I do my best to provide easily accessible articles, videos, webpages, and other resources that viewers of my site can immediately get to for free. Sometimes, there is a particular work that must be included.

I stray from the above guidelines only when I deem there is a valuable reason to do so. For example, some activist organizations do their own research studies and distribute reports. But there are some cases where a specific, helpful statistic can only be found in a study done by a couple white men, or a university department. There are few instances when I will break the guidelines above if I think it will benefit the learning of my viewers.

"Citation is a political act. It is a practice that can work both sides of the same coin: it can give voice, and it can silence." (Chick, Abbot, Mercer-Mapstone, Ostrowdun, and Grensavitch in "Naming is Power")

More thoughts on epistemology (the study of knowledge)...

Epistemology is an important facet of transformative social justice. Who we listen to, who can pay for research studies, who gets to speak on behalf of others, whose opinions are taken as fact... These are all important questions that we must interrogate as we continue to learn.

Here's a few resources to check out if you're interested in this topic.