Who, if anyone, has the right to accept or refuse unwanted citations?

In response to a letter by Ansorge, who questioned whether authors or science need the right not to want to be cited, we fully respect his opinion and choice to express that he believes that such a right is not needed. However, we counter that argument by noting that, even in the absence of concrete examples, to have a solid theoretical basis for arguing a right is essential, even if it is not always welcomed, or appreciated by all, or even many. The ability to have an equal right on any two sides of any argument or situation, including those related to the right to cite a paper, or to not cite a paper, or even to be cited, or to not want to be cited, is a fundamental right that we advocated for in our initial letter, and which we fortify in this follow-up letter.

Automated summary

In response to Ansorge's letter, the authors respect his opinion and choice not to want to be cited. However, they argue that having a solid theoretical basis for arguing a right is essential, even without concrete examples. They advocate for the fundamental right to have equal rights in any argument or situation, including the right to cite or not cite a paper, or to be cited or not want to be cited.