To the Editor:

Scholarship in publications of “project science” may be enriched by tracing prior contributions to the field of thought, connecting the “new” with relevant preceding ideas. Attribution to earlier scientific contributions often seems lacking or incomplete in current publications.

Consider the recent publication regarding biomass stoves (1). Neither the authors nor the accompanying editorial (2) conveyed the extent of prior interest in this field. Aside from methodology, the article (1) cites two publications more than 10 years old, and the editorial (2) adds one; there is little hint of the duration and scope of related contributions involving many countries from the '60s to the '90s. A 25-year-old publication (3) and a subsequent editorial (4) provided insight and stimulus to the emerging knowledge of health risks of biomass fuels. Numerous other publications by Blackburn, Woolcock, and others documented the evolving curiosity that drove those early studies and led to early experiments with biomass stoves.

One wonders whether electronic literature searches, the dominant practice of self-citation (1), or journals publication policies limit attribution to “now.” (Instructions to Contributors suggest: “authors should make every effort to discuss their work in the context of the most recent research in their field of inquiry” and “include the most current articles and information,” with little advice to trace how the ideas emerged over time.)

Tracking earlier contributions may elevate a publication from drab technical science to intriguing scholarship with global and historical dimensions. Such scholarship by future generations may also acknowledge the current contributor's legacy.