Citation analysis

Overview

Citation analysis is the examination of the frequency, patterns, and graphs of citations in articles and books. It uses the network of citations in articles, books, and patents to generate information about the impact and use of specific articles, authors, and publications. Through this process, it is possible to discover how a single publication or a set of publications has affected the course of research on a topic or at an institution.

History

The process of citation analysis was first developed in the science discipline during the 1960s. Eugene Garfield, the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), was among the pioneers of citation analysis. Garfield created the Science Citation Index (SCI), which made it possible to track citations in scientific literature.

Purpose and Use

Citation analysis is used in both qualitative and quantitative research. In qualitative research, it is used to identify the impact of a single work of research or the overall contributions of a researcher. In quantitative research, citation analysis is used to gather statistical information about the usage and impact of a particular piece of work or a researcher.

Methods

There are several methods used in citation analysis, including citation counting, citation mapping, and co-citation analysis. Citation counting is the most basic form of citation analysis, and it involves counting the number of times a work is cited by other works. Citation mapping is a more complex form of citation analysis, and it involves creating a visual map of citations to identify the relationship between different works. Co-citation analysis is another method of citation analysis, and it involves identifying how often two works are cited together.

Citation Counting

Citation counting is the most basic form of citation analysis. It involves counting the number of times a work is cited by other works. This method is often used to measure the impact of a single work or a researcher. However, citation counting has its limitations. For example, it does not take into account the quality of the citing work. Moreover, a high citation count does not necessarily mean that the cited work is of high quality.

Citation Mapping

Citation mapping is a more complex form of citation analysis. It involves creating a visual map of citations to identify the relationship between different works. This method is often used to identify the development of research fields and to discover the impact of a single work on a particular field. Citation mapping can also be used to identify the interdisciplinarity of a research field.

Co-citation Analysis

Co-citation analysis is another method of citation analysis. It involves identifying how often two works are cited together. This method is often used to identify the relationship between different works and to discover the development of research fields. Co-citation analysis can also be used to identify the interdisciplinarity of a research field.

Limitations

While citation analysis provides valuable insights into the impact and use of specific articles, authors, and publications, it also has its limitations. For example, citation analysis does not take into account the quality of the citing work. Moreover, a high citation count does not necessarily mean that the cited work is of high quality. Furthermore, citation analysis may not accurately reflect the impact of a work in non-academic contexts.