Citations are a powerful force in academia, shaping both individual careers and institutional reputations. They underpin key processes such as job applications, promotions, grant applications, benchmarking, and world university rankings.

But citations are more than a metric—they also influence whose voices are heard and valued within the academy. Evidence shows that women and scholars from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are systematically under-cited, limiting their recognition and influence (see the Cite Black Women collective). Citation justice challenges us to reflect on these disparities, highlighting how everyday referencing practices can reinforce inequities or, conversely, help foster a more inclusive academic culture.

To explore these issues, the Decolonisation Project team co-organised a workshop with University Library Services in celebration of International Women’s Day. The event critically examined everyday citation practices and discussed how to cultivate more equitable and diverse approaches in research. Contributors from the FEM network at Maastricht University, who gained attention for their Citation Guide, joined the session to share insights and practical strategies for citation justice.

Speakers included:

• Sharon Anyango (Maastricht University, FEM group), whose work spans education provision for marginalised youth in Kenya and interdisciplinary approaches to globalisation and development.
• Nicole Basaraba (Coventry University), specialising in digital narratives, public history, and transmedia storytelling with a global focus, and previously part of the FEM group.
• Sally Wyatt (Maastricht University), Professor of Digital Cultures, with longstanding research on the role of digital technologies in knowledge production and clinical decision-making.

Key discussions from the seminar highlighted how citation practices can obscure identities differently across disciplines, creating varied forms of inequity. Participants reflected on how literature reviews often rely on established “canonical” texts, reinforcing gatekeeping in disciplines like Business Management. Editors and scholars were encouraged to promote diversity of voices in journals, while the importance of more sophisticated literature search practices was emphasised to ensure engagement with a broader, more radical range of scholarship.

Ultimately, citation justice is about producing better, more robust knowledge while recognising that no single solution exists. By reflecting critically on whom we cite, and why, we can start to shift academic culture towards greater inclusivity, equity, and recognition of marginalised voices.