Abstract
This position paper critiques the widespread assumption that literature reviews should prioritize recent sources, often operationalized as a “5-year rule” in academic writing. While recency is valuable for capturing current developments, this practice may inadvertently exclude foundational theories and methodological principles that remain conceptually relevant. To address this issue, the paper introduces Citation Recency Bias, defined as the tendency to privilege newer sources based primarily on temporal proximity rather than functional relevance. Drawing on enduring contributions in research methodology and educational psychology, including measurement theory (Stevens, 1946), reliability estimation through Cronbach’s coefficient alpha (1951), statistical frameworks developed by Fisher (1925) and Cohen (1988), and foundational theories proposed by Bandura (1977) and Vygotsky (1978), the paper argues that many core elements of contemporary scholarship continue to rely on earlier works. Citation Recency Bias is therefore conceptualized as a methodological distortion that may weaken theoretical grounding and conceptual coherence when the publication date is treated as an indicator of scholarly value.
Author Biographies
Mhel Cedric D. Bendo, College of Business Administration, Polytechnic University of the Philippines–Maragondon Campus, Philippines
Mhel Cedric D. Bendo is a student researcher and academic writer pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines–Maragondon Campus. His research focuses on educational psychology, educational assessment, psychometrics, digital and mobile learning, artificial intelligence in education, and financial technology (FinTech). He has authored and co-authored studies published and forthcoming in international peer-reviewed and Scopus-indexed journals and serves on the editorial boards of several international scholarly journals. He previously served as a Technical Editor and currently serves as an invited peer reviewer for international journals, including the Online Learning Journal (OLJ), Cogent Education (Taylor & Francis), the International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET), the International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), and the Journal of Learning for Development (JL4D). Beyond academic research, he writes research-informed commentaries, essays and literary pieces on education, technology, media literacy, culture, and social development, with works published in regional and national Philippine publications, including SunStar Cebu, Manila Bulletin, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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