Chubin and Moitra define six types of citations:
Affirmative essential basic: The references paper is declared central to the reported research [or it is] a reference on which its findings depend.
Affirmative essential subsidary: A specific method, tool, or mathematical result is not directly connected to the subject of the paper, but is still essential to the reported reseearch.
Affirmative supplementary additional: The referenced paper contains an independent supportive observation (idea or finding) with which the citer agrees.
Affirmative supplementary perfunctory: Related to the reported research without additional comment.
Negational partial: A citer suggested that the [cited] paper is erroneous in part and then offers a correction.
Negational total: A citer refers to the [cited] paper as being completely wrong and offers an independent interpretation or solution.
Chubin, Daryl E., and Soumyo D. Moitra. 1975. Content analysis of references: adjunct or alternative to citation counting. Social Studies of Science, 5: 423-441.
(As cited in Dilevko, Juris, and Esther Atkinson. 2002. Evaluating academic journals without impact factors for collection management decisions. College and Research Libraries, 63(6): 562-577.)
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