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Nature 415, 726-729 (14 February 2002) | doi:10.1038/415726a

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Citation analysis: The counting house

David Adam1

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Scientists' work is often evaluated using citation statistics compiled by a company called the ISI. But how useful and reliable are the data? David Adam gets the measure of citation analysis.

There are, it is said, three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. Many scientists, who find their work assessed through attempts to gauge how often it is cited in the scientific literature, would surely subscribe to that view.