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arXiv · 1901.09663

A multi-dimensional framework for characterizing the citation impact of scientific publications

Yi Bu·Ludo Waltman·Yong Huang
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Abstract

The citation impact of a scientific publication is usually seen as a one-dimensional concept. We introduce a multi-dimensional framework for characterizing the citation impact of a publication. In addition to the level of citation impact, quantified by the number of citations received by a publication, we also conceptualize and operationalize the depth and breadth and the dependence and independence of the citation impact of a publication. The proposed framework distinguishes between publications that have a deep citation impact, typically in a relatively narrow research area, and publications that have a broad citation impact, probably covering a wider area of research. It also makes a distinction between publications that are strongly dependent on earlier work and publications that make a more independent scientific contribution. We use our multi-dimensional citation impact framework to report basic descriptive statistics on the citation impact of highly cited publications in all scientific disciplines. In addition, we present a detailed case study focusing on the field of scientometrics. The proposed citation impact framework provides a more in-depth understanding of the citation impact of a publication than a traditional one-dimensional perspective.

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Yi Bu, Ludo Waltman, Yong Huang. 2019-01-28. A multi-dimensional framework for characterizing the citation impact of scientific publications. https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.09663

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