Research data network, September 2016, David Kernohan, Jisc

1. Data Citation Update
David Kernohan
Image: dkernohan (cc-by)

2. Contents
» Data download metrics
»Collaboration
»Understanding citation
14/09/2016 Jisc Journal Research Data Policy Registry

3. IRUS for Research Data
» Added compatibility with Figshare – brought in four new
institutions (Salford, Sheffield, Loughborough, Cranfield).
» Compatibility with Elsevier PURE – still teething troubles.
» Pursuing discussions withThompson Reuters (Converis)
» Ongoing work on API (based on SUSHIlite)
14/09/2016 Jisc Journal Research Data Policy Registry

4. Collaboration (1)
»Linked to ongoing NIH-supported
BioCaddie project, hosted by the
Force11 Collaboration
»Aimed at developing an
implementation pathway for the
JDDCP principles…
The Data Citation Implementation Pilot (DCIP)
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5. Collaboration (2)
»International group managed by
Counter – aims to codify practice
for research data downloads
»“Making Data Count” is a
collaborative project led by
California Digital Library, PLOS
and DataOne.
http://mdc.lagotto.io
COUNTER/MDC/Jisc Research Data sub-group
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6. Complexities of Citation
This section draws on unpublished work commissioned by Jisc from Cameron
Neylon. For preference, please cite from Cameron’s final report rather than this
presentation.

7. Citation and referencing are central
» Citation is one of the few universal practices across all of research
» Important (some would say too important) in research evaluation
» An important component of how researchers see their own work
➤ Not surprising that citation is seen as a tool for
developing, implementing, and promoting policy.
» Examples include citation advantage forOA, making sure preprints
are “citeable”, data and software citation

8. We don’t understand citation and referencing
1. Why do we account appearance in a reference list, not
the number of times an article is referenced?
2.Why do we award a full count to all authors of an article
rather than dividing up the credit?What is the best way
to divide it up?
3. Are all citations equally valuable? Is a citation from a
highly cited paper worth more or worth less?

9. Why is this important for data citation?
» Citation practices have developed over centuries – there
are strengths but also flaws..
»These lead to serious issues around the way citations are
used for recognition.
» Similar questions are frequently posed in mainstream
scientometrics.
» RD metrics gives us a “blank slate”: a chance to develop a
more useful system.
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10. What is citation? What is it for?
14/09/2016 Jisc Journal Research Data Policy Registry
Normative motivations
• Recognising contributions
• Assigning credit
• Providing supporting evidence
Social Constructivist Motivations
• Pleasing referees and editors
• Creating community identity
• Persuasion, reputation building
Related to generally understood
community expectations of behaviour and
culture in the creation of knowledge
Related to unstated or unrecognised social and
contextual behaviour that is not connected to
knowledge creation

11. Defining Contexts for Motivations
Consensus in referencing community
Literalness
(consistency of
meaning between
referred work and
referencing work)
Low
Low
High
High
Misattribution,
Reinterpretation,
Idiosyncratic negative,
Revolutionary
Substantive, organic
Creative connection,
Unusual quotation
Perfunctory, ceremonial,
Common direct quote
Conventional interpretation,
Paradigmatic
Ritual negative,
Common misattribution
Conventional transformation
Obliteration by incorporation
Adapted from Small (2004), Scientometrics, 60(1): 71-79

12. Citation and referencing are complex
These are challenging problems because:
»There are many different activities
» By many different agents (people, organisations…)
»With many different motivations
There is no one thing which is “citation” done by a single group for a
single purpose, but many different activities, by different people,
with multiple and differing motivations.

13. Who
•Authors
•Journals
•Indexes
•Evaluators
What
•Referencing
•Formatting
•Collecting Citations
•Generating metrics
Why
•Rules
•Norms
•Persuasion
•Identity
Citation and referencing are complex
A general framework for
understanding will have to
integrate how different
actors (the who) do a range
of different things (the
what) and what incentives
and motivations affect (and
effect) those practices (the
why)

14. Defining Contexts for Motivations
Consensus in referencing community
Literalness
(consistency of
meaning between
referred work and
referencing work)
Low
Low
High
High
Misattribution,
Reinterpretation,
Idiosyncratic negative,
Revolutionary
Substantive, organic
Creative connection,
Unusual quotation
Perfunctory, ceremonial,
Common direct quote
Conventional interpretation,
Paradigmatic
Ritual negative,
Common misattribution
Conventional transformation
Obliteration by incorporation
Adapted from Small (2004), Scientometrics, 60(1): 71-79

15. Defining Contexts for Motivations
Consensus in referencing community
Literalness
(consistency of
meaning between
referred work and
referencing work)
Low
Low
High
High
Misattribution,
Reinterpretation,
Idiosyncratic negative,
Revolutionary
Substantive, organic
Creative connection,
Unusual quotation
Perfunctory, ceremonial,
Common direct quote
Conventional interpretation,
Paradigmatic
Ritual negative,
Common misattribution
Conventional transformation
Obliteration by incorporationSocial Constructivist Motivations
Normative Motivations
Adapted from Small (2004), Scientometrics, 60(1): 71-79

16. That gives us who and why but not what
»This has been a problem in the past
› Are we talking about the author adding the reference (in
the text, in the bibliography?) the journal having
restrictions on what’s citeable (or how many citations
are permitted), or the work of the indexor in creating the
citation?
»We need a way of being precise about what is being done
at each stage of a complex process.

17. Meaningfulness over the course of processInformation/Meaning
Citation
Citation count
H-indexReference

18. Meaningfulness over the process
» Is this the same for data citation?
»How do the two edges connect?
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19. Signs and References: Pierce’s SignTriad
Sign-vehicle
ReferantInterpretant
Adapted from the work of CS Pierce

20. Signs and References: Pierce’s SignTriad
Sign-vehicle
ReferantInterpretant
In text reference
Work referred toMeaning in context
Reference

21. Signs and References: Pierce’s SignTriad
Bibiliography entry
Work referred toMeaning in context
Reference Citation
Citation (in index)
Connection (Absent) referring text

22. A references transformed to a citation
Bibliography entry
Work referred toMeaning in context
Reference Citation
Citation (in index)
Connection (Absent) referring text
Indicator
Drawing on work by P Wouters and others

23. 9/14/2016

24. Further work
» Expand and develop the semiotic approach to carefully define the processes
occurring in the citation life cycle. Place these processes in their social, cultural
and technological context to identify how community norms and individual
choices affect them.
» Support the development of large scale open datasets that support large scale
analysis of the context and manipulation of references and citations eg conduct a
literature wide analysis of citation contexts
» Expand both of these to include new forms of target referent (data, software,
online materials)
» Develop the semiotic approaches to provide a sound basis for a theoretical
framing of data and analysis quality issues.
14/09/2016 Jisc Journal Research Data Policy Registry

25. Follow the project
» blog: https://rdmetrics.jiscinvolve.org/
» webpage: https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/research-data-metrics-for-usage
» IRUS portal available to users (images above)
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