This document discusses self-citation abuse in academic proceedings. It provides examples of one researcher who excessively self-cited their own work in proceedings publications and published the same papers across multiple venues. Specifically, the researcher included 40+ self-citations out of 49 total references in one paper and published the same content in proceedings and journals. The document argues that proceedings allow easy abuse through self-citation and duplicate publication in order to artificially inflate metrics like citation counts and h-index. It recommends limiting the number of references and percentage of self-citations allowed in proceedings to prevent this type of opportunistic behavior.

1. Malibu Rohwani

2.  Proceedings are the collection
of academic papers published in the
context of an academic conference.
 They are usually distributed as printed
volumes or in electronic form either
before the conference opens or after it
has closed.
 Proceedings contain the contributions
made by researchers at the
conference.

3.  A quick and easy to gain a
publication for a scientist
 Recognized work: Indexed in WoK,
Scopus, Google Scholar, EI
 Increase publications
 Increase Citations

4.  Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
 world's largest professional association
 Peer-reviewed
 Depends on the subject, usually, max 6
pages including figures, tables &
references
 Generally has a maximum of 10
references
 Indexed in: ACS Digital Library, CSA,
Google Scholar, INSPEC, Medline, Pubmed,
Web of Science, Optics InfoBAse, EI

5. The SJR indicator measures the scientific influence of the average
article in a journal, it expresses how central to the global scientific
discussion an average article of the journal is.
Cites per Doc. (2y) measures the scientific impact of an average
article published in the journal, it is computed using the same formula
that journal impact factor.
High Impact Factor

6. Almost no
Self citation

7.  The International Society for Optical Engineering
 SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately
25 major technical forums
 Proceedings of SPIE
 Peer-reviewed
 Max 15 pages
 No max. References
 among the most cited references in the patent
literature
 Indexed in: Astrophysical Data System (ADS),
Chemical Abstracts (relevant content), Compendex,
CrossRef, Current Contents, DeepDyve, Google
Scholar, Inspec, Portico, Scopus, SPIN, and Web of
Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index.

8. The SJR indicator measures the scientific influence of the average
article in a journal, it expresses how central to the global scientific
discussion an average article of the journal is.
Cites per Doc. (2y) measures the scientific impact of an average
article published in the journal, it is computed using the same formula
that journal impact factor.
Low Impact Factor

9. 45% self citation

10.  Submit several papers
 Include many self citations
 Re-submit the same paper to another
proceedings and journal

12.  40 self citations out
of
49 references
= 81.62%

13. 1. Novel approaches for high-efficiency InGaN quantum wells light-emitting diodes: Device physics
and epitaxy engineering Tansu, N., Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Liu, G., Li, X.-H., Ee, Y.-K., Song, R.,
Huang, G.S. 2011 Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
7954, art. no. 795418. This paper has 40 self references to Tansu
2. Zhang, J., Zhao, H., Tansu, N. 2011 Gain characteristics of deep UV AlGaN quantum wells
lasers. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering 7953, art. no.
79530H. This paper has 27 self references to Tansu
3. Enhancement of light extraction efficiency of InGaN quantum wells light-emitting diodes using
TiO2 microsphere arrays Li, X.-H., Ee, Y.-K., Song, R., Tansu, N. 2011 Proceedings of
SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering 7954, art. no. 79540U. This paper has
27 self references to Tansu
4. Thermoelectric properties of MOCVD-grown AlInN alloys with various compositions Zhang,
J.,Tong, H., Liu, G., Herbsommer, J.A., Huang, G.S., Tansu, N. 2011 Proceedings of SPIE -
TheInternational Society for Optical Engineering 7939, art. no. 79390O. This paper has 27 self
references to Tansu
5. Cathodoluminescence characteristics of linearly shaped staggered InGaN quantum wells light-
emitting diodes Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Liu, G., Toma, T., Poplawsky, J.D., Dierolf, V., Tansu,
N.2011 Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering 7939, art.
no.793905. This paper has 27 self references to Tansu
6. Analysis of thermoelectric properties of AlInN semiconductor alloys Zhang, J., Tong,
H.,Herbsommer, J.A., Tansu, N. 2011 Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for
OpticalEngineering 7933, art. no. 79330X. This paper has 28 self references to Tansu
 176 self citation from 6 papers from a single SPIE
conference

14.  Tansu Nelson ; Zhao Hongping ; Liu Guangyu ; et al.
Source: IEEE PHOTONICS JOURNAL Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Pages: 241-248
 31 Self citations

15.  CLEO Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, is a premier international forum for scientific and
technical optics. It brings together all aspects of laser technology, from basic research to industry
applications and self citations.
CLEO 2011:
1 Optical gain in GaInNAs and GaInNAsSb quantum wells. Ferguson, J.W., Blood, P., Smowton, P.M.,
Bae, H., Sarmiento, T., Harris, J.S., Tansu, N., Mawst, L.J. art. no. 5950135
This paper has 8 Self citation
2 Fabrication of self-citation silica/polystyrene microlens arrays for light extraction enhancement
in nitride light-emitting diodes Li, X.-H., Ee, Y.-K., Song, R., Tansu, N., art. no. 5950273
This paper has 10 Self citation
3 Growths of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes with AlInN thin barrier for efficiency droop
suppression Liu, G., Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Tansu, N., art. no. 5950224
This paper has 9 Self citation
4 High TE-polarized optical gain from AlGaN-delta-GaN quantum well for deep UV lasers. Zhang,
J., Zhao, H., Tansu, N., art. no. 5950996
This paper has 10 Self citation
5 Surface plasmon dispersion engineering via double-metallic Au / Ag layers for nitride light-
emitting diodes.
Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Liu, G., Tansu, N., art. no. 5950735
This paper has 9 Self citation
Total: 46 self citations from CLEO 2011.

16.  Ee, Y.-K., Kumnorkaew, P., Arif, R.A., Tong, H., Gilchrist, J.F., Tansu,
N.2009. Light extraction efficiency enhancement of InGaN quantum wells
light-emitting diodes with polydimethylsiloxane concave
microstructures. Optics Express 17 (16), pp. 13747-13757
 Ee, Y.-K., Kumnorkaew, P., Tong, H., Arif, R.A., Gilchrist, J.F., Tansu,
N. 2009 Enhancement of light extraction efficiency of InGaN quantum
wells light-emitting diodes with polydimethylsiloxane concave
microstructures. Proceedings of SPIE – The International Society for
Optical Engineering 7231, art. no. 72310U

18.  (1) Zhao, H., Liu, G., Tansu, N. 2010. Surface plasmon dispersion engineering via
double-metallic Au/Ag layers for nitride light-emitting diodes
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering 7617, art. no.
76170W
This paper has 10 self citation
(2) Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Liu, G., Tansu, N. 2011. Surface plasmon dispersion
engineering via double-metallic Au / Ag layers for nitride light-emitting diodes
2011 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics: Laser Science to Photonic
Applications, CLEO 2011 , art. no. 5950735
This paper has 10 self citation
 (3) Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Liu, G., Tansu, N. 2011 Surface plasmon dispersion
engineering via double-metallic Au/Ag layers for III-nitride based light-emitting
diodes
Applied Physics Letters 98 (15), art. no. 151115
This paper has 15 self citation
 35 Self citations from 1 same paper, published 3
times

21.  Publishing in proceedings is easily abused
 Form of abuse: self citations, duplicate
publications
 Some individual is opportunistic in order to
influence h-index
 Because many institutions consider citation
volume as a proxy for scientific merit.

22.  Limit max. No. References = 10
 Only 2 (20%) self citation
 Cannot re-publish the same article in other
proceedings and journal