Functional use of frequently and infrequently cited articles in citing publications. A content analysis of citations to articles with low and high citation counts

Using publication and citation data from a study on the selection procedure of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (B.I.F.), this study investigated the extent to which frequently and infrequently cited articles were used differently by the scientists that cited them. The data set consisted of 31 articles by B.I.F. grant applicants that had received 451 citations in 270 citing publications. In a comprehensive content analysis each reference to the B.I.F. article in the citing publication was classified according to two categories: 1) the location of the citation within the citing publication (section of the paper in which the citation appears) and 2) meaningful or cursory mentioning of the article in the citing publication. The results showed statistically significant differences between the B.I.F. applicants’ articles with low or high citation counts. All in all, the results indicate that an article with high citation counts had greater relevance for the citing author than an article with low citation counts.