Citation as a form of science communication

Abstract

The key scientometrical concepts and their balance as interpreted by V. S. Lazarev are analyzed. The author enters into polemics and suggests that there is a linear relationship between using and citing documents, citation and value. The author emphasizes the complexity of scientometric calculations regardless the rampant technological development and modern instruments of publication citation estimation. The related risks of scientometric data control are discussed: nominal citation, intentional non-citation, editorial requirements of scientific journals, mistakes when designing and submitting science papers to databases. The risky technological and ethical factors are analyzed. The consequences of publication retraction and changing status or contents of published paper, including the bibliographic records, are discussed. The samples of complexity and impossibility of identification of some types of inflowing documents are provided. The author argues that the value criteria are directly related to the effectiveness of scientific research and emphasizes that the effectiveness term has to be analyzed as applied in scientometrics. He also proposes to make scientometric indicators equal to elements of professional science communication which is justified by blurred lines between their formal and informal types.