Sidosmäärä

Sidosmäärä is a Finnish term that translates to "number of citations" or "citation count." It is a metric used in academic and research contexts to quantify the impact and influence of a scholarly work, such as a research paper, book, or patent. A higher sidosmäärä generally indicates that a publication has been referenced by many other researchers, suggesting its significance within its field.

The sidosmäärä is calculated by counting how many times a specific publication appears in the reference lists of other published works. Various academic databases and citation indexing services, like Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, track and report these citation counts. These services allow researchers to assess the visibility and reach of their own work and to discover influential papers within their discipline.

While a high sidosmäärä is often seen as a positive indicator of impact, it's important to consider it alongside other factors. The age of the publication, the prestige of the journal or publisher, and the quality of the citing works are all relevant aspects. Furthermore, citation practices can vary significantly between different academic fields, making direct comparisons across disciplines sometimes misleading. Nevertheless, sidosmäärä remains a widely used and recognized metric in academic evaluation.