I recently discovered an absolutely amazing series run by Soil Biology & Biochemistry entitled “Citation Classics.” In this series, the authors of a highly cited SBB article are asked to revisit their earlier work, provide the context in which it occurred, the developments since then, and the questions or issues that remain unanswered.
I’ve skimmed through some of the papers, and they seem to provide a very interesting insight into how an idea is developed and how it evolves. As the series has progressed, the introductory articles have also become very good, with the most recent one providing an very succinct yet comprehensive overview of the interplay of plants and microbes in the nitrogen cycle. Here are links to the full list (the intro article is listed first, then the main article).
I. Measuring soil microbial biomass
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071703003262
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071703003250
II. Soil microbial biomass: its assay and role in turnover of organic matter C and N
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071704001798
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071704001543
III. Soil protozoa: an under-researched microbial group gaining momentum
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071704004432
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071704003955
IV. The temperature dependence of organic-matter decomposition—still a topic of debate
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003807170600143X
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071706001416
V. Relationships between soil respiration and soil moisture
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071708000370#
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071707004920
VI. Heavy metals and soil microbes
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071709002478
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071709001813
VII. Priming effects: Interactions between living and dead organic matter
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710001756
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710001355
VIII. Soil microbial biomass- The eco-physiological approach
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710003160
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710002555
IX. Measuring soil biomass using an automated procedure
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071711000204
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710003573
X. Use and misuse of PLFA measurements in soils
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071711001349
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071710004426
XI. In situ core methods for estimating soil N-fluxes: Re-evaluation based on 25 years of application and experience
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071712003719
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071712003525