Philosophy of Citations in Linguistic Applications by Dr. Khalid Na'eem Shnawah

A book titled " Philosophy of Citations in Linguistic Applications" was issued recently by Dr. Khalid Na'eem Shnawah

In linguistic taxonomy, references to other linguists especially grammarians is an important feature in academic writing. Following this does not mean revealing the linguist's honesty in conveying and implying things (though it is apt) but it needs intertexuality in spite of differences in methodologies and style. Linguists agree that the citation role in producing grammatical discourse is not only acknowledging others' works but also it scaffolds the linguist's ability, seeking knowledge and investigating linguistic rules as well as utilizing from results arrived at by others. This supports their linguistic taxonomy and creating an ideological and scientific space in this linguistic discourse. More often we find that traditional grammarians in their linguistic taxonomies did not refer to those from whom they quoted their texts. Instead, they compiled these and out of the process of writing they utilize these texts without citing their authors.

This identification of the concept of 'citation' and because of the rarity of research on it shows that traditional linguists utilized the instrumental part of citing but we have not found in their taxonomies any theoretical part for it. Out of following the linguistic texts, it was found that it is part and parcel of categorizations by the traditional linguists to the extent that some texts were rejected and criticized for not citing the authors whose works were used.

We found out that the topic of 'citation' was highly valuable in the content of the books and manuscripts but those who stuck to knowledge and reporting did not give it prominence. Thus, it draws my attention by its nuances when categorized in the past. So I indulged myself in probing into the works of the traditional linguists and how they referred to those preceding them. The first purpose of this book is to see how traditional linguists and grammarians used methods of reference and citations and investigating points of ambiguity and fraud as well as looking into some of the late researchers. My second aim is revealing the ways of citing, compiling and the behavior of the quoted text in them.