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Opinion
Nature 415, 101 (10 January 2002) | doi:10.1038/415101a
Errors in citation statistics
Abstract
A curious absence from a list of 'hot papers' has led Nature to uncover some inaccuracies in the citation statistics compiled by the ISI. This adds to worries about relying heavily on these figures when rating scientific performance.
For some researchers, monitoring citation statistics and journal 'impact factors' is an intensely serious business. In many German universities, for instance, the impact factors of the journals in which scientists publish their work are tallied, and the data plugged into formulae that directly influence the funding given to individual departments.
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