Indirect-collective referencing. - II. Nature and real importance of the phenomenon of scientific literature

Abstract

The second investigation showed the types of the indirect-collective referencing (ICR) phenomenon, from the simple ICR connection(s) to ICR networks of different size and composition linked in chains by ICR acts starting from the basis article. The types of networks identified and presented quantitatively are: the ICR Family, the ICR Clan and the ICR Tribe. The number of non-indexed references in an ICR Family or in an ICR Clan is many times greater than the number of indexed references in the basic article, while the number of non-indexed references in the network of an ICR Tribe exceeds can exceed and in cases is many times greater than the total number of indexed references in the entire source journal edition containing the basic article. The real importance of the literature phenomenon ICR lies in the demonstrated fact that the quantity of sources of knowledge cited in a non-indexed indirect-collective way, now and in the representative generál physics elité source journal, in itself exceeds many times over the quantity of cited sources of knowledge shown in the Citation Indexes. The Citation Indexes show only a fraction of the really cited references in the journal. Ali the investigations and findings of „sciento-" and other „metrics" are based on this indexed fragment of the actually cited scientific achievements and for this reason it has now become necessary to rectify their meaning, validity and value.