Getting cited: A reconsideration of purpose (AUR 59 01)

By Ian Dobson. Michael Calver's recent exhortation 'Please don't aim for a highly cited paper' (AUR, 57(1): pp. 45-49) is welcome and a timely reminder of the problems associated with seeking citations at any cost. While not disagreeing with the concerns he raises we offer another way of looking at citation-seeking; thereby outlining a reconsideration of its purpose. We suggest that citations indirectly help to shape the terrain of a discipline. More...