2021 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Limitations of citation analysis on the measurement of research impact: A summary
AUTHOR
Fei Shu
ABSTRACT
Although citation analysis is broadly used to design and develop bibliometric indicators or methods measuring the research impact, some limitations of citation analysis regarding citing motivation and behavior, database coverage and bias, as well as the analytical methods may threaten the validity and reliability of the measurement. This paper reviews the literature on the limitations of citation analysis in the measurement of research impact, which is not addressed by many bibliometric studies introducing new indicators or methods for research evaluation, to remind researchers of the possible inappropriate use of citation-based indicators or methods on research evaluation.
KEYWORDS
Citation analysis; Nature of citation; Limitation; Measurement of research impact