The article first provides a short presentation of the KIAP project (Kulturell Identitet i Akademsik Prosa - cultural identity in academic prose) and some quantitative results related to the frequency of bibliographical reference for citations in research articles. She then claims that the specific phenomenon of citation clusters, defined as the accumulation of three or more bibliographical references, may assume two general functions corresponding to the two dimensions just mentioned: progress and continuity. She also argues that even if clustering represents an efficient way of referring to and situating oneself in relation to other relevant research, it may lead to considerable ambiguity and even weaken the academic ideal of clarity. The author also point to the importance of taking into account individual differences between articles.