When you are given a research assignment you are often given criteria such as "find peer reviewed articles" and "use scholarly sources." Or you are given the advice to look at the author’s credentials to determine credibility. This can leave out the human aspect of scholarship.
We should begin with acknowledging that advancing in the world of academia is already fraught with barriers. There are social structures at play that limit who makes it to the top and/or who has their scholarship published. Being cited in another scholar’s work is the goal and can bring advancement in your job. What would happen if you looked closer at the authors of scholarly articles? Well, you would find that the majority are white, male, and heterosexual. Along with these demographics, we also introduce the concept of citation bias. With citation bias, people tend to cite other work that agrees with their views, as well as cite scholars of the same social group (race,ethnicity, gender, etc.). Therefore, with those at the top being mostly white men, the cycle perpetuates more scholarship from more white men.
Instead, we can adopt meaningful citation practices to help balance the scholarship. Page 6-7 in this zine gives practical guidance for inclusive citation practices.