Purpose

This paper aims to understand the nature of citations and metrics in the larger system of knowledge production involving universities, funding agencies, publishers, and indexing and data analytic services.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the normative and social constructivist views of citations are reviewed to be understood as co-existing conditions. Second, metrics are examined through the processes of commensuration by tracing the meanings of metrics embedded in various kinds of documents and contexts. Third, the steering effects of citations and metrics on knowledge production are discussed. Finally, the conclusion addresses questions pertaining to the validity and legitimacy of citations as data and their implications for knowledge production and the conception of information.

Findings

The normative view of citations is understood as an ideal speech situation; the social constructivist view of citation is recognised in the system of knowledge production where citing motivations are influenced by epistemic, social and political factors. When organisational performances are prioritised and generate system imperatives, motives of competition become dominant in shaping citing behaviour, which can deviate from the norms and values in the academic lifeworld. As a result, citations and metrics become a non-linguistic steering medium rather than evidence of research quality and impact.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the understanding of the nature of citations and metrics and their implications for the conception of information and knowledge production.

中文翻译：

---

引文和指标的指导作用

目的

本文旨在了解涉及大学，资助机构，出版商以及索引和数据分析服务的较大型知识生产系统中引文和度量的性质。

设计/方法/方法

首先，对引用的规范性和社会建构主义观点进行了审查，以将其理解为并存条件。其次，通过追踪各种文档和上下文中嵌入的度量的含义，通过相称的过程来检查度量。第三，讨论了引文和度量标准对知识生产的指导作用。最后，结论解决了与引用作为数据的有效性和合法性有关的问题，以及它们对知识生产和信息概念的影响。

发现

引用的规范性观点被理解为一种理想的言语环境。知识生产系统中认识到社会建构主义的引用观，在这种系统中，引用动机受到认知，社会和政治因素的影响。当组织绩效被优先考虑并产生系统要求时，竞争动机就成为形成举止行为的主导，而举止行为可能会偏离学术生活世界的规范和价值观。结果，引文和量度成为非语言指导手段，而不是研究质量和影响的证据。

创意/价值

本文有助于理解引文和度量的性质及其对信息和知识生产概念的影响。