van Raan AFJ "Two-step competition process leads to quasi power-law income distributions - Application to scientific publication and citation distributions " PHYSICA A 298 (3-4): 530-536 SEP 15 2001

[Eugene Garfield]

AFJ van Raan:    vanraan at cwts.leidenuniv.nl


Title    :Two-step competition process leads to quasi power-law
          income distributions - Application to scientific publication
          and citation distributions
Author:   van Raan AFJ
Journal : PHYSICA A   298 (3-4): 530-536 SEP 15 2001

 Document type: Article        Language: English           Cited
References: 4      Times Cited: 0


Abstract:
We apply a two-step competition process as a model to explain the
distribution of citations ('income') over publications ('work'), The first
step is the competition amongst scientists to get their work published in
better journals, and the second to get this work cited in these journals.
Generally, citation distributions are supposed to follow a power law, like
most other 'income' distributions. So far, no satisfactory theoretical
model of citation distribution has been developed. On the basis of two
Boltzmann type distribution functions of source publications, we derive a
distribution function of citing publications over source publications. This
distribution function corresponds very well to the empirical data. It is
not a power law, but a modified Bessel-function. In our view, the model
presented in this article has a more generic value, particularly in
economics to explain observed income distributions. (C) 2001 Elsevier
Science B.V. All rights reserved.

KeyWords Plus:
SCIENCE

Addresses:
van Raan AFJ, Leiden Univ, Ctr Sci & Technol Studies, Wassenaarseweg 52,POB
9555, NL-2300 RB Leiden, Netherlands
Leiden Univ, Ctr Sci & Technol Studies, NL-2300 RB Leiden, Netherlands

Publisher:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, AMSTERDAM

IDS Number:
474AL

ISSN:
0378-4371



Cited Author            Cited Work                Volume      Page      Year

 NARANAN S             J DOC                         27        83      1971
 SEGLEN PO             J AM SOC INFORM SCI           43       628      1992
 VANRAAN AFJ           SCIENTOMETRICS                51       347      2001
 VANRAAN AFJ           SCIENTOMETRICS                36       397      1996