Showing papers by "Eugene Garfield published in 2004"

Historiographic Mapping of Knowledge Domains Literature

Abstract: To better understand the topic of this colloquium, we have created a series of databases related to knowledge domains (dynamic systems [small world/Milgram], information visualization [Tufte], co-c...

In basic science the percentage of ‘authoritative’ references decreases as bibliographies become shorter

Abstract: The empirical question addressed in this contribution is: How does the relative frequency at which authors in a research field cite “authoritative” documents in the reference lists in their papers vary with the number of references such papers contain? “Authoritative” documents are defined as those that are among the ten percent most frequently cited items in a research field. It is assumed that authors who write papers with relatively short reference lists are more selective in what they cite than authors who compile long reference lists. Thus, by comparing in a research field the fraction of references of a particular type in short reference lists to that in longer lists, one can obtain an indication of the importance of that type. Our analysis suggests that in basic science fields such as physics or molecular biology the percentage of “authoritative” references decreases as bibliographies become shorter. In other words, when basic scientists are selective in referencing behavior, references to “authoritative” documents are dropped more readily than other types. The implications of this empirical finding for the debate on normative versus constructive citation theories are discussed.

The Unintended and Unanticipated Consequences of Robert K. Merton

Abstract: Using the HistCite system of algorithmic historiography, we have created a series of online databases available to the public, which contain bibliographic records and citation links to a series of Merton's publications. These include the 'Matthew Effect' (1968), Technology and Science in Seventeenth-Century England (1970), On the Shoulders of Giants (1965), and his classic 1936 paper 'The Unintended Consequences of Purposive Social Action', which has been cited in more than 160 journals. We intend to create additional HistCite collections for his other works. While commenting upon his worldwide scholarly influence, the present paper calls particular attention to Merton's impact on information science and scientometrics.

The intended consequences of Robert K. Merton

Abstract: 2as well as multiples in discovery, and exchanged correspondence with him, I became increasingly curious to know more about him. As it turned out, citation indexing not only facilitated that learning process but also helped me better appreciate the extent of his impact on scholarship. When the Science Citation Index was launched in 1964, we also started the Automatic Subject Citation Alert (ASCA) service which became available in 1965. 3 My personal search profile for this alerting service included Merton’s name as a cited author, so I was regularly informed of new papers that had cited his work. Every week for over 35 years, I have been stimulated by an amazing assortment of article titles whose authors have been influenced by his work – on average, about twenty papers per week! And the flow continues to this day. The breadth of their content reflects not only the diversity of his publications but also the applicability and power of his theoretical ideas as well as the diverse topics which were related to them but often times seemingly unrelated. Merton himself also received a similar weekly ASCA personal alerting report which he scanned with great interest. He had a routine procedure for marking titles for which his aide requested reprints. His reading was formidable. These experiences with ASCA illustrate one of the most exciting facets of citation indexing. It is not only that one retrieves papers that can be judged to be logically connected to the cited work but in addition, the least expected connections might be made. That is why traditional measures of relevance need to be modified to judge the results of a cited reference search. 4 In my case, it has always been a special thrill to learn about a paper on a seemingly unrelated subject in which the author had cited one of my papers for a completely unexpected reason. You might say that these unanticipated consequences of a citation search were indeed “intended” yet they are