Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Gupta,Hari M.
Data de Publicação: 2005
Outros Autores: Campanha,José R., Pesce,Rosana A. G.
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Physics
Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-97332005000600012
Resumo: The number of citations of a scientific publication or of an individual scientist has become an important factor of quality assessment in science. We report a study of the statistical distribution of the citation index of both scientific publications and scientists. We give numerical evidence that Tsallis (power law) statistics explains the entire distribution over eight orders of magnitude (10-4 to 10(4)). Also, we draw Zipf plots in order to analyze the statistical distribution of the citation index of Brazilian and international physicists and chemists. The relatively small group of Brazilian scientists seems more adequate to explain the dynamics of the citation index. In this case, we find that the distribution of the citation index can also be explained by a gradually truncated power law with similar parameters. We finally discuss possible mechanisms behind the citation index of scientists and scientific publications.
id SBF-2_c43fb4e2e5652b50676cb643342a7da9
oai_identifier_str oai:scielo:S0103-97332005000600012
network_acronym_str SBF-2
network_name_str Brazilian Journal of Physics
repository_id_str
spelling Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientistsThe number of citations of a scientific publication or of an individual scientist has become an important factor of quality assessment in science. We report a study of the statistical distribution of the citation index of both scientific publications and scientists. We give numerical evidence that Tsallis (power law) statistics explains the entire distribution over eight orders of magnitude (10-4 to 10(4)). Also, we draw Zipf plots in order to analyze the statistical distribution of the citation index of Brazilian and international physicists and chemists. The relatively small group of Brazilian scientists seems more adequate to explain the dynamics of the citation index. In this case, we find that the distribution of the citation index can also be explained by a gradually truncated power law with similar parameters. We finally discuss possible mechanisms behind the citation index of scientists and scientific publications.Sociedade Brasileira de Física2005-12-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-97332005000600012Brazilian Journal of Physics v.35 n.4a 2005reponame:Brazilian Journal of Physicsinstname:Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF)instacron:SBF10.1590/S0103-97332005000600012info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGupta,Hari M.Campanha,José R.Pesce,Rosana A. G.eng2006-01-17T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0103-97332005000600012Revistahttp://www.sbfisica.org.br/v1/home/index.php/pt/ONGhttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phpsbfisica@sbfisica.org.br||sbfisica@sbfisica.org.br1678-44480103-9733opendoar:2006-01-17T00:00Brazilian Journal of Physics - Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
title Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
spellingShingle Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
Gupta,Hari M.
title_short Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
title_full Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
title_fullStr Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
title_full_unstemmed Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
title_sort Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists
author Gupta,Hari M.
author_facet Gupta,Hari M.
Campanha,José R.
Pesce,Rosana A. G.
author_role author
author2 Campanha,José R.
Pesce,Rosana A. G.
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Gupta,Hari M.
Campanha,José R.
Pesce,Rosana A. G.
description The number of citations of a scientific publication or of an individual scientist has become an important factor of quality assessment in science. We report a study of the statistical distribution of the citation index of both scientific publications and scientists. We give numerical evidence that Tsallis (power law) statistics explains the entire distribution over eight orders of magnitude (10-4 to 10(4)). Also, we draw Zipf plots in order to analyze the statistical distribution of the citation index of Brazilian and international physicists and chemists. The relatively small group of Brazilian scientists seems more adequate to explain the dynamics of the citation index. In this case, we find that the distribution of the citation index can also be explained by a gradually truncated power law with similar parameters. We finally discuss possible mechanisms behind the citation index of scientists and scientific publications.
publishDate 2005
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2005-12-01
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-97332005000600012
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-97332005000600012
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1590/S0103-97332005000600012
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sociedade Brasileira de Física
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sociedade Brasileira de Física
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Brazilian Journal of Physics v.35 n.4a 2005
reponame:Brazilian Journal of Physics
instname:Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF)
instacron:SBF
instname_str Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF)
instacron_str SBF
institution SBF
reponame_str Brazilian Journal of Physics
collection Brazilian Journal of Physics
repository.name.fl_str_mv Brazilian Journal of Physics - Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv sbfisica@sbfisica.org.br||sbfisica@sbfisica.org.br
_version_ 1754734862287241216

Registros relacionados