Non-indexed eponymical citedness IV. Systematic study: J. Opt. Soc.Am. 1934-1974

Abstract

In the fourth study of his publication series concerning the literature phenomenon marked in the main title. the author reports the secondstep of his systematical Study: the research on longitudinal cutting. This research covered the total 1934. 1939, 1949, 1959. 1969, 1974 volumes of the Journal of the Oplical Sociely of America. In the course of exploration of the phenomenon the methodological basis of research was constantly the principle of "reduction to the indisputable minimum". The function of research logic of the longitudinal cutting examination was the controlling reexamination of statements of the preceding double cross sectiort research.
The results of the longitudinal cutting research of controlling function confirm every single one of the statements of the preceding double cross section research. They verify among others that
• non-indexed eponymical citedness is an old-standing and widely popular phenomenon. a steady and essential element in physics literature;
• the number of "eponymous authors" cited in the physics literature eponymically. i.e. non-in-dexedly, is permanently in the order of magnitude of fseveral) hundreds;
• the non-indexed eponymical reference stock of physical articles is permanently and in an increasing degree a considerable element of the apparatus of physical articles:
• between the continuity of an author's eponymical presence in the literature and the author's measure of eponymical citedness Ihere is no relation. The results of the longitudinal cutting research of controlling function disprove the relevant and contradicting unproved opinions of two American science-sociometrologists. J. R. Colé and S. Cole. which belong to the faulty methodological presuppositions of their indexed "citation analysis" author study in the depressive literature case of the so-called but false "Ortega Hypothesis".
The results demonstrate the fact also that il is a grave deficiency of epistemology and research methodology to ignore the principle of temporariness in the author citation analysis studies, as made by the Coles in their article.
In the next - the last - study of this series, the interprelative evaluation of the examined literature phenomenon and the summing up of resulfs of the research will be reported.