How PhD students and postdocs can win the citation game without becoming cynics

"So is it possible to improve your citation metrics without comprising either your research or your principles? I think it is. Puzzled about why some of my best papers (in my view) had modest citations while others that verged on what academics like to dismiss as “somewhat trivial” did well, I did some research into scientometrics and studied the impact of my friends. My conclusion is that while chance plays a role and very deliberate actions to attempt to boost one’s metrics backfire, small changes in focus and strategy can reap serious rewards.

Below are the 10 observations I now make to my psychology PhD students. Some may not apply in the arts or hard sciences, but I think most do.

1. Publishing in high-impact journals may impress peers and committees, but it in no way guarantees high citations. None of my 50 top-cited papers are in the highest impact journals in their area. ..."