title: Citation analysis in health care sciences. Innovative investigation or seductive pseudo-science?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Citations of scientific papers in health care have become a subject of interest, as in any scientific sector. However, such a metric, while useful in a simple way, can become subject to too much credibility, and therefore to advanced analyses which are not soundly grounded even if methodologically valid.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to contextualise citation indices in health care science, juxtaposed with a parallel analytic paper.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature was reviewed and set against the objectives of metrics of literature and of researchers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The strengths and weaknesses of citation indices in the health sector were identified, with practical examples of perverse effects, and compared with the core objectives of health care development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Citation indices in health care science have a value, but this is limited to giving a broad overview. Other measures of effectiveness, including impact on education, on health care development, and on stimulation of applied developments, are needed rather than spuriously scientific advanced analyses of citation counts.
authors.affiliation: Michael Rigby, Lavender Hill, 6 Carrighill Lower, Calverstown, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Ireland E-mail: m.j.rigby@keele.ac.uk.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigby
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States
keywords: Citation index; bibliometrics; health care improvement; measurement; quality of papers; quality of research