Physics

"The Publication Cycle" by University of Winnepeg is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Citations are not only necessary to avoid plagiarism, by giving authors proper credit, but they also fuel the advancement of scholarship by allowing researchers to build on each others work.

When you cite a source, it allows others to track down that research for themselves. They may end up citing the source, or even replicating the research or building on the research, refuting or backing up claims, furthering knowledge about topic.

The publication cycle can be tracked forwards or backwards; when you find a relevant research article, you can find out who has cited the work to learn more. And you can also track down who the author(s) of the original paper cited, creating a timeline of research that benefits all who are interested in the field.