ABS: Cronin, Semiotics and evaluative bibliometrics

[Gretchen Whitney]

E-MAIL ADDRESS : bcronin at indiana.edu

TITLE   :       Semiotics and evaluative bibliometrics
AUTHOR: Cronin B
JOURNAL JOURNAL OF DOCUMENTATION 56: (4) 440-453 JUL 2000

 Document type: Article    Language: English    Cited References: 47
Times Cited: 0

Abstract:
The reciprocal relationship between bibliographic references and citations
in the context of the scholarly communication system is
examined. Semiotic analysis of referencing behaviours and citation counting
reveals the complexity of prevailing sign systems and
associated symbolic practices.

KeyWords Plus:
ASSESSMENT EXERCISE RATINGS, INFORMATION-SCIENCE, CITATION ANALYSIS,
COMMUNICATION,
DOCUMENTS, GENETICS, COUNTS

Addresses:
Cronin B, Indiana Univ, Sch Lib & Informat Sci, Bloomington, IN 47401 USA.
Indiana Univ, Sch Lib & Informat Sci, Bloomington, IN 47401 USA.

Publisher:
ASLIB, LONDON

IDS Number:
326VD
Copyright © 2000 Institute for Scientific Information


EXCERPT FROM PAPER :


CONCLUSIONS

What semiotics offers the bibliometric research community is a
supra-disciplinary suite of insights and exegetical tools (such as the sign
triads in Figures 1-5) to explore better the indexical significance of
bibliographic references and citations, contextualised and decontextualised,
within the scholarly communication system, so well described by Meadows
[47].  Commercial (and other [48]} citation indexes have liberated
references from their textual hosts, in the process creating a marketplace
for a new species of sign --  the citation.  An understanding of semiotic
principles may be one way of helping the bibliometrics / scientometrics
research community develop greater sensitivity to the variable symbolic
significance of the signs they routinely manipulate and treat as
quasi-objective indicators of quality, impact and esteem.  Semiotics cannot
provide a unifying theory for understanding the intentional and extensional
significance of citation, but it does offer a framework within which to
examine specific phenomena and reproducible practices and to assess the
strengths and limitations of the competing theoretical models.


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