Reassessing the N-rays reference network: The role of self citations and negative citations

Stéphane Baldi; L. Hargens

doi:10.1007/bf02020422

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Scientometrics

Volume/Issue:: Volume 34: Issue 2

Reassessing the N-rays reference network: The role of self citations and negative citations

Authors:

Stéphane Baldi

Stéphane Baldi Ohio State University Department of Sociology 43210 Columbus OH USA 43210 Columbus OH USA

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L. Hargens

L. Hargens Ohio State University Department of Sociology 43210 Columbus OH USA 43210 Columbus OH USA

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Pages:: 239–253

Online Publication Date:: 06 Aug 2005

Publication Date:: 26 Oct 1995

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02020422

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Abstract

In his article networks of Scientific Papers,Price argued that the N-rays reference network exhibits characteristics one would expect for a cumulative and rapidly developing research area. Although subsequent researchers have questioned Price's characterization of the N-rays network, there have been no replications of Price's work for either the N-rays literature or for any other literature. We reexamine the N-rays reference network, this time distinguishing negative citations and self citations from other citations. Although previous studies of negative and self citations show they are relatively infrequent in scientific literatures, we find that both are very prominent in the N-rays literature. In addition, we show that self citations comprise most of the recency effect observed in the N-rays reference network, and that the high level of self citations in the N-rays literature results primarily from the character of the journal that published the majority of the N-rays papers. Our findings therefore support those who have been skeptical about Price's claim that the N-rays reference graph exemplifies basic characteristics of the structure of scientific literatures.

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Scientometrics

Print ISSN:: 0138-9130

Online ISSN:: 1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language	English
Size	B5
Year of Foundation	1978
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	12
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
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ISSN	0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2861 (Online)