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The citation impact outside references — formal versus informal citations

Author

Listed:
  • Werner Marx

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • Manuel Cardona

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

Abstract

In this study the amount of “informal” citations (i.e. those mentioning only author names or their initials instead of the complete references) in comparison to the “formal” (full reference based) citations is analyzed using some pioneers of chemistry and physics as examples. The data reveal that the formal citations often measure only a small fraction of the overall impact of seminal publications. Furthermore, informal citations are mainly given instead of (and not in addition to) formal citations. As a major consequence, the overall impact of pioneering articles and researchers cannot be entirely determined by merely counting the full reference based citations.

Suggested Citation

  • Werner Marx & Manuel Cardona, 2009. "The citation impact outside references — formal versus informal citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(1), pages 1-21, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:80:y:2009:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-008-1824-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-008-1824-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael H. MacRoberts & Barbara R. MacRoberts, 1989. "Problems of citation analysis: A critical review," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 40(5), pages 342-349, September.
    2. Manuel Cardona & Werner Marx, 2005. "The disaster of the Nazi-power in science as reflected by some leading journals and scientists in physics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 64(3), pages 313-324, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Werner Marx & Lutz Bornmann, 2010. "How accurately does Thomas Kuhn’s model of paradigm change describe the transition from the static view of the universe to the big bang theory in cosmology?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 441-464, August.
    2. Werner Marx & Lutz Bornmann, 2013. "The emergence of plate tectonics and the Kuhnian model of paradigm shift: a bibliometric case study based on the Anna Karenina principle," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(2), pages 595-614, February.

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