Citation Analyses

One of the most difficult and often controversial questions facing academic faculty is how to determine whether or not publications make a contribution to the discipline or the rest of society. The perceived value of published research often determines the fate of academicians when applying for tenure or promotion. This entry describes how and why assessments are made concerning the perceived value of a published paper, of a scholar’s career, and of an institution’s communication studies department. That is followed by an examination of two primary indexes that provide citation information as well as power rankings for academic journals. The entry concludes with some limitations to citation counting.