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From: mae@weitek.UUCP (Mike Ekberg)
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.research
Subject: Re: How many people read an average research paper?
Message-ID: <516@weitek.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Nov-86 18:25:42 EST
Article-I.D.: weitek.516
Posted: Wed Nov 12 18:25:42 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Nov-86 02:46:20 EST
References: <7966@watdaisy.UUCP> <2483@phri.UUCP> <236@cartan.Berkeley.EDU> <2326@psuvax1.UUCP>
Reply-To: mae@weitek.UUCP (Mike Ekberg)
Distribution: sci
Organization: WEITEK Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 18
Keywords: Science Citation Index
Xref: mnetor sci.math:186 sci.research:25

In article <236@cartan.Berkeley.EDU> larsen@brahms (Michael Larsen) writes:
>The idea that a reference count is an accurate indication of the quality of
>a scholar must have a strong appeal to the bureaucratic mind.  Unfortunately,
>the real world doesn't seem to work that way.
>
>-larsen @ berkeley.edu.brahms

I think the reference count does not necessarily indicate the quality of
a scholar. But reference counts may be used to determine the areas of 
current work in a given field. 

As an example, you could generate a 'citation' index for usenet. You might 
find that article <236@cartan.Berkeley.EDU has been cited several times
in the last two weeks. Was it a good article? Who knows? but I do know
that in this news group there are several people pursuing the topic
of Citation Indices. Maybe i'll unsubscribe if this topic continues:-}.

mike - {cae780,turtlevax}/weitek/mae