Why total number of citations is important?
Why is citation a vital assessment factor in academia?
Your quality vs your h-index
The total number of citations: an indicator of your research quality
The total number of citations to your research reflects the quality of that research. That is why citations matter significantly in academia: to assess the quality of a researcher or a published work. Citations are distributed highly unequally among researchers. Web of Science database across 118 scientific disciplines shows that the top 1% most-cited authors accounted for 21% of all citations. Our studies show that research works' visibility is crucial in their final citation counts.
Total number of citations for EB-1 green card
The total number of citations an academic's work receives is a crucial indicator of their influence and impact within their field, going beyond mere bragging rights to serve as a fundamental metric for assessing research significance. For PhD students transitioning to post-doc positions, and for post-docs aiming for university professor roles, a strong citation record is highly valuable, demonstrating productivity, recognition, and the potential for future impactful research, often scrutinized by academic institutions, funding agencies, and promotions committees. While there's no specific citation requirement for EB-1 visas set by USCIS, meaning no fixed minimum citations for EB-1, general guidelines and successful applicant profiles suggest that while fewer than 50 citations may be considered weak, 50-100 is a solid starting point, and 100+ is generally seen as strong evidence of sustained national or international acclaim, particularly if the citations are from prestigious journals or show significant impact, though the quality of citations (from internationally recognized experts, in top-tier journals) is always paramount.
Strategies to increase your citations
Many PhD students, post-docs, and aspiring university professors are looking for answers to these questions: “how to increase citation in Google Scholar”, “how to increase citation”, and “how to increase citation in Scopus”. The foundational step is to produce high-quality, relevant research, but it's also crucial to publish in reputable and open-access journals, optimize titles and abstracts with relevant keywords, actively promote research at conferences and on academic social media, network and collaborate with established researchers, consider writing highly cited review papers, and maintain a consistent author identity. By strategically focusing on producing impactful research and actively promoting it, academics can significantly increase citation counts, bolstering their academic careers and strengthening their profiles for opportunities like the EB-1 visa. You can find more information about these strategies here. But briefly:
1. Focus on high-quality research
Our studies show that timely research works that solve an important problem in the field with novel ideas are more prone to improve your citation. For instance, the pioneer who works on graphene, DNA, and the COVID-19 vaccine will receive more attention from researchers. Therefore, if you aim to increase your citations in your field and have a high citation number, you should avoid publishing low-quality papers and instead focus on timely research works of high quality.
2. Enhance your network within the field
How can your work be seen and get more citations if you do not engage effectively with your field? Studies show that research works from scientists with more interaction with the field have a higher chance of increasing citations. Interaction with the field includes participating in conferences, promoting your recent works on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.), and participating in workshops and mentorship activities. To summarize, let the field know that this will allow your work to be seen, which will finally increase your citation number.
3. Revisit your publishing strategy
To increase your citations in Google Scholar or Scopus, you should have a solid publishing strategy. Publishing strategy includes the total share of research/review works you publish yearly, publishing in open-access journals, and making your work available as soon as possible as a preprint before publication. These are important as they will help you gain more citations for your research papers and finally boost your total citations.
The main aim of CitePal is to enhance the visibility of your work with the guaranteed number of citations you need. If you aim to increase your h-index or your total citation, feel free to browse our packages to use our paid citation services.
