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Innovative citation metrics seek to address shortcomings of traditional measures

Published: 29 November 2024

Counting citations is an important way that a scholar’s academic influence is measured, but not all citations are created equal. Sometimes, widely-cited researchers don’t have much influence beyond their own narrow academic niche. New platforms like OpenAlex and Scite adjust for this type of difference and seek to provide a more balanced picture of influence across disciplines—as well as whether a citation is supporting, challenging or simply mentioning the original work. “Traditional metrics remain central in academic hiring,” says Patrick Augustin, an associate professor of finance at Desautels. “But the development of these tools reflects an interest in moving beyond citation counts to recognize research that contributes positively to academia and society.”

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