A citation is a reference from one work to another. That link signals that an idea, dataset, or method was used or discussed later. Systems such as Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar harvest citations to build article-, journal-, and author-level indicators. Citations are not sole proof of quality; hot topics, review articles, and large consortia naturally attract more.
Citation counts differ by database because coverage differs. The same paper often shows different totals in WoS, Scopus, and Scholar—state the source in a dossier. Self-citation and possible citation cartels can inflate metrics; editors and analysts sometimes inspect self-cite rates separately.
Journal metrics (JIF, CiteScore) and author metrics (h-index) are derived from citation units. Article-level FWCI normalizes citations against field-and-year averages. Altmetrics add non-citation attention channels. Keep the layers distinct and say what you measured.
Good practice: cite accurately and ethically; avoid unnecessary self-citation rings. The citable-item entry explains which document types enter journal-metric denominators. Turkish evaluations sometimes ask “how many citations?”—a raw number without field, year, and database context is weak.
When you use Citation in a dossier or journal choice, state the year, official source, and category or collection name when relevant. Cross-reading related entries in this glossary prevents slogan-only explanations and produces verifiable wording that matches how committees and funders actually read evidence.