concept

Positive citation bias

The tendency of a research community to cite exciting results that confirm a hypothesis while overlooking null or contradictory ones - so a claim hardens with each citation even though no new evidence has arrived. When a cautious study shows something is *possible*, later papers cite it as proof it *happens*, and the original authors' hedges evaporate. The 2023 review of mycorrhizal networks showed this is exactly how the wood-wide web story outran its data: the frequency of unsupported claims doubled over 25 years.