What criteria should be used to shorten the list of references? I want to submit a paper to a natural science journal, and there is a limit in the number of references.
All the current references are relevant since a reader can double-check what I claim.
But if I had to cut the references, what criteria should I use? I referenced some news articles that back my claims about current development. I certainly would cut those for other journal articles in a science journal. What is the recommended way to go here?
Reference limits aren't typically literally there to limit the number of references, they are there to limit the length and breadth of the Introduction and Discussion.
Rather than targeting specific references, look whether there are intro/discussion (I'd start with the intro) sections that aren't really needed, or can be consolidated to a brief statement and citation of a review. Probably if you are going as far as citing news articles you have too wide a view in the introduction.