Death by Citation Request
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Original Question
I'm not sure if this is a logical fallacy but it's commonly used in arguments, especially on the internet. The interlocutor questions the validity of a claim and insists on evidence or a citation for a claim that is either commonly known or that can be easily found by a Google or Wikipedia search.
Example: The sky is blue because blue colors are scattered more in the atmosphere than other colors.
Interlocutor: Citation?
Answers
1I wonder if a couple if different things are going on here.
1) Requesting a citation is not at all fallacious, especially when one rattles off statistics or incredulous data. In this case, asking for a citation is the reasonable thing to do.
2) Requesting a citation for a well-known fact perhaps makes the person asking look foolish, but still no fallacy. We could see this as a red herring if they refuse to continue with the argument if no citation can be provided (when none should be expected, like with your blue sky example).
3) Requesting a citation for information that is not something that would be in a research paper also makes the person asking look foolish, or at least ignorant in the area. For example, scientific or professional opinions that are a result of decades of study/experience (e.g., "you need to bend your knees and extend the moment before you hit the jump"). Again, no fallacy, just an odd question.
Overall, I think the red herring might fit, but only if the interlocutor's behavior suggests it. For example, if they have been proven wrong and this is their last-ditch-effort to avoid conceding.
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