non-self-citation

[Wallace C. Koehler]

I have very much enjoyed the exchange on building personal citation
collections, I thought I might share a little pre-pub forthcoming by
(guess who) in RUSQ:

Nightmares in Citation Analysis

Wallace Koehler
Department of Information Studies
Valdosta State University
wkoehler at valdosta.edu

Abstract: The following is fabricated to make a point: name and single
initial for author identification are inadequate. More to the point, the
citations are real but the attributions are not. There are no
self-citations.

Introduction
There are any number of citation formats. Some of these formats provide
extensive information about authors, titles, and so on, and many that
limit that information. Some systems, like those used in physics may not
give the article title and severely abbreviate the journal title (Wallon
& Koehler 1955).
Citation analysis is performed for all sorts of purposes: To track in
the intellectual development of ideas (Koehler 1925), to attribute the
primary source of ideas (Koehler 1882), or to stimulate new thinking
(Creighton & Koehler 1935). Citations can be used to facilitate
information retrieval (Koehler 1947). They might also be used to help
familiarize and train neophytes in any given field (Koehler 1962,
Koehler 1972).
Discussion
 We have become aware that citation inflation has ballooned (Koehler et
al 1908), that the distribution of citations has become inequitable
(Koehler 1996), and that far too many junior scholars find it necessary
to “sing for their supper” through exaggerated citations and other forms
of flattery (Koehler 2000). Indeed, some have observed that the problem
has reached epidemic and indeed pathogenic levels (Koehler 1998).

Methodology
 In order to test these hypotheses, we undertook the team approach
described by Koehler and Lehner (1974). Unfortunately we discovered a
great deal of vacillation among our co-workers, as was predicted by
Koehler, Patankar, and Ibele (1991, 1994).  It appears that competition
for citations raises maturity issues (or rather challenges of
immaturity) such as those described by Koehler and Loftin (1994). To
correct for these problems, we employed the Kristof configuration
algorithm (Kristof, Clusmann, Koehler, Schramm, & Fink 1998) to increase
the overall satisfaction coefficient (Koehler, Fottler & Swan 1992). We
were therefore able to minimize the carolingean affect (Koehler &
Mütherich 1930).

Findings
 Our analysis resulted in the following findings: citations can be
rendered virtually useless if they contain insufficient data, confirming
earlier conclusions by Teichmann et al (2000). Insufficient data are
simply insufficiently infectious. In fact, inadequate citation data can
be eyed as  unreasonable (Lammerding-Koppel et al 1991) or undo the glue
of intellectual discourse (Seibel, Burt, & Koehler 1986). A discussion
of issue localization has found its way into the literature (Snowden at
al 2000), but the issue has yet to be fully resolved. An automated
solution may soon be forthcoming (Weber et al 1999).

Conclusions
 This paper demonstrates several things. One, I may have had a
phenomenal career, stemming from the mid-1880s through the present. If
so, it would appear that I have published across a myriad of subject
areas and have gained some degree of fame in a few of them – which is to
say, that by aping my peers, I have sought a revolutionary and perhaps
nuclear place in the literature.
 Or maybe some citation systems leave a little to be desired. In the
end, there are problems created not for those who craft the citations
(the shorter the better) and those who publish the citations (again, the
shorter the better), but rather for those who are cited and those who
need to use those citations.
References
Creighton, H., Koehler, W. (1935) Principles and applications of
electrochemistry
New York:  J. Wiley & Sons.

Koehler, W (1882) Johannes der Täufer nach den synoptischen Evangelien
und nach Josephus. Weimar.

Koehler, W. (1925). The Mentality of Apes. New York: Harcourt and Brace

Koehler, W. (1947) Rola ptactwa w gospodarce lesnej.  Kraków,  Instytut
badawczy lesnictwa. Ulotki i wydawnictwa popularne. Seria C., nr. 21;
[economic forestry]

Koehler, W. (1962). The Koehler method of dog training. New York, Howell
Book House.

Koehler W  (1972). Providing for Timely Curricular Changes in Master
Level Programs
Journal of Engineering Education 62, 8: 911-914.

Koehler, W. (1996) A K-12 Faculty Salary-Growth Model That Provides
Equitable Strategic Increments.  Journal of Personnel Evaluation in
Education 10 1: 37-51

Koehler, W. (1998) The Search for the Scarlet Fever Pathogen, Immunität
und Infektion. no. 5/6: 180

Koehler, W. (2000). The politics of song: the German Workers' Choral
Association as a cultural and sociopolitical entity in comparative
perspective, 1918-1933. Dissertation: Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brandeis
University.

Koehler, W., Bierbaum, O., Lienhard,  F.(1908) Koehler's
Zeppelin-Kalender. Gera-Untermhaus und Leipzig, Koehler.

Koehler, W., Fottler, M., Swan, J. (1992) Physician-patient
satisfaction: Equity in the health...  Medical Care Research & Review
49, 4: 455-84.

Koehler, W; Lehner, G. (1974). Team Effectiveness Training. Training and
Development  Journal 28, 10: 3.

Koehler, W., Loftin, M. (1994) Proactive Strategies for Managing the
Behavior of Children with Neurodegenerative Diseases and Visual
Impairment. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness 88, 4: 317-29.

Koehler, W., Mütherich, F (1930). Die karolingischen Miniaturen :  im
Auftrage des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft. Berlin : Cassirer.


Koehler, W., Patankar, S., Ibele, W. (1991, 1994) Numerical prediction
of turbulent oscillating flow and associated heat.Cleveland, Ohio:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center.

Kristof, R., Clusmann, H ; Koehler, W ; Schramm, J ; Fink, K (1998)
Treatment of accidental high dose intraventricular mezlocillin
application by cerebrospinal fluid exchange Journal Of Neurology,
Neurosurgery, And Psychiatry 64, 9803: 379

Lammerding-Koppel, M., Thier, P., Koehler, W. (1991) Morphology and
Mosaics of VIP-Like Immunoreactive Neurons in the Retina of the Rhesus
Monkey. Journal of comparative neurology 312:  251-263

Seibel, C, Burt, W., Koehler, W. (1986) Joint sealants for pavements and
bridges. ASTM Standardization News v. 14 (Nov.): 52-4

Snowdon R.J., Friedt, W., Koehler, A., and Koehler, W. (2000): Molecular
cytogenetic localisation and characterisation of 5S and 25S rDNA loci
for chromosome identification in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Ann.
Bot. 86: 201-204.

Teichmann, D., Grobusch, M., Göbels, K., Müller, H., Koehler, W.,
Suttorp, N. (2000) Acute Fascioliasis with Multiple Liver Abscesses.
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 32, 5.

Weber, A., Hoffmann, M., Wolters, V., Koehler, W. (1999) Ein
Habitateignungsmodell fuer die Feldlerche (Alauda arvensis) basierend
auf einem zellulaeren Automaten Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für
Ökologie: 329

Wollan, E.  and Koehler, W., Phys. Rev. 100 545, 1955.


--
*******
Wallace Koehler
Associate Professor/Associate Director
Master of Library and Information Science Program
Odum Library
Valdosta State University
1500 N. Patterson St
Valdosta, GA 31698-0150
email - wkoehler at valdosta.edu
voice: 229 245 3732 fax 229 259 5055