backscratching noun2 •The act or habit of engaging in a reciprocal beneficial action.She babysits the kids, and we mow her lawn. A little backscratching never hurt anybody! •Such behavior that is corrupt.You have to "tip" the inspector if you want a license in this town. Too much backscratching around here!They discovered a citation ring: a group of researchers citing one another inordinately. This backscratching aimed to inflate their article-level metrics and author-level metrics. formsbackscratchings
