Davis, PM (Davis, Philip M.) Reward or persuasion? The battle to define the meaning of a citation LEARNED PUBLISHING, 22 (1): 5-11 JAN 2009

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: pmd8 at cornell.edu 

Author(s): Davis, PM (Davis, Philip M.)
 
Title: Reward or persuasion? The battle to define the meaning of a 
citation 

Source: LEARNED PUBLISHING, 22 (1): 5-11 JAN 2009 

Language: English 

Document Type: Article 

KeyWords Plus: SCIENCE; QUALITY; NATIONS; IMPACT; MODEL; TOOL 

Abstract: The history and development of the Science Citation Index (SCI) 
is an ex(example of the power of users in defining and influencing the 
development of a new technology. The SCI was developed as a tool for the 
historian of science for the purpose of tracing die history of ideas, but 
it was appropriated by users for purposes for which it was unintended - as 
a tool for evaluating the literature, individuals, institutions, and 
countries. The development of a citation tool gave rise to a debate over 
what is actually measured by citation. The citation-was-reward camp views 
citations as indicators of quality and impact, whereas the citation-as-
persuasion. oil camp views citations as no more than rhetorical devices. 
While neither view call fully explain how authors use citations, citation-
as-reward prevails as the (dominant interpretation. 

Addresses: Cornell Univ, Dept Commun, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA 

Reprint Address: Davis, PM, Cornell Univ, Dept Commun, 336 Kennedy Hall, 
Ithaca, NY 14853 USA. 

E-mail Address: pmd8 at cornell.edu 

Cited Reference Count: 41 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: ASSOC LEARNED PROFESSIONAL SOC PUBL 

Publisher Address: SOUTH HOUSE, THE STREET WORTHING, W SUSSEX BN13 3UU, 
ENGLAND 

ISSN: 0953-1513 

DOI: 10.1087/095315108X378712 

29-char Source Abbrev.: LEARN PUBL 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Learn. Publ. 

Source Item Page Count: 7 

Subject Category: Information Science & Library Science 

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