{"id":1936,"date":"2025-08-07T03:27:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T03:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/?p=1936"},"modified":"2025-08-07T03:56:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T03:56:41","slug":"so-what-if-my-citation-is-low-why-citations-matter-more-than-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/2025\/08\/07\/so-what-if-my-citation-is-low-why-citations-matter-more-than-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"So What If My Citation Is Low? Why Citations Matter More Than You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In recent discussions around research performance at AHIBS, one topic that consistently surfaces is citations<\/strong> . It is how often our work is referenced by others in the academic community. I recently shared that our school\u2019s average citation count is 488.8<\/strong>, but 24 out of 33 academics<\/strong> are currently below this average. Some may respond with, “So what if my citation is low?”<\/em> It\u2019s a fair question. Let\u2019s unpack it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why I Bring Up Citation Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t about pointing fingers or making anyone feel small- that was never my intention. As the Deputy Dean of Research, I share this data because it matters<\/strong>, not just to our school\u2019s accreditation and ranking aspirations, but also to our own sense of academic visibility and relevance. Here are some of my points: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. AACSB Accreditation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As an AACSB-accredited business school, intellectual contributions<\/strong> (ICs) and their impact<\/strong> are critical. Citation metrics are a quantifiable indicator of how our work resonates beyond our institution. When reviewers examine our scholarship, they don\u2019t just ask what<\/em> we publish; they ask who<\/em> is reading, citing, and building on it. I am responsible in writing Standard 8- which focuses on Intellectual Contributions and Scholarly Impact. That’s how I first encountered about the performance of each staff, particularly on their citations count. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Global Rankings and Reputation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In global university rankings, including QS, THE, and even subject-based rankings<\/strong>, citation data plays a major role. It signals research influence<\/strong>. Schools with strong citation performance are often perceived as thought leaders. When we collectively raise our citation impact, we enhance AHIBS\u2019 academic standing<\/strong> globally. That, in turn, affects student recruitment, international partnerships, and grant opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I attended a seminar on QS ranking. The speaker mentioned how citations affect academic reputation. And QS only counts citations from SCOPUS indexed publication. So, like in many case in AHIBS, although some have many indexed publications, the number of citations are low. This is due to the indexed publication is not SCOPUS, but rather ERA-Indexed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Self-Worth and Scholarly Purpose<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On a personal level, citations are not the only measure of academic worth, but they are<\/em> a meaningful reflection of whether your work is making a difference<\/strong>. We all know the time and energy it takes to publish. When your research is cited, it means someone found it useful. That\u2019s academic impact in action. It\u2019s validation that your voice matters in the scholarly conversation. Some may say this cliche- but i always think that someone has cited my paper- and it helps them with their publication- I have done something good there- regardless whether they know me or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So What If My Citation Is Low?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s be honest, some of us have published good work, yet the numbers remain modest. That\u2019s okay. Citations take time to build, especially in certain disciplines. But the key is to be intentional<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Are you publishing in journals that people read and cite?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Is your work visible through academic networks, conferences, or platforms like ResearchGate or Google Scholar?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Are you collaborating across disciplines or borders?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    If your answer is no, it might not be your work, it might be your visibility<\/strong>– platforms that you chose, your network etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why AHIBS Encourages Scopus-Indexed Conferences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    One strategic move we\u2019ve made is to encourage and support our academics to present at Scopus-indexed conferences<\/strong>. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Scopus-indexed proceedings are discoverable and citable.<\/strong>\n
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      • They count towards your citation profile. I have one conference paper that has 511 citation counts. This paper is a Scopus-indexed proceeding, published in one the IEEE conference. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • They expose your research to a wider academic audience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Academic visibility attracts academic conversation.<\/strong>\n
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        • Presenting your work increases the chance someone will reference it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The more visible your ideas are, the more likely they are to circulate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • It strengthens our collective reputation.<\/strong>\n
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          • A school with academics who publish and present widely sends a strong message: we are active, engaged, and relevant<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • It fosters collaboration and invites citations.<\/strong>\n
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            • Conferences are a breeding ground for future collaborations, and co-authorships often lead to higher impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Moving Forward Together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              We\u2019re not chasing citations for vanity. We\u2019re building a culture of impact<\/strong>. At AHIBS, we want to support you<\/strong> through publication workshops, writing retreats, and research mentoring. Our goal isn\u2019t just to meet external KPIs, it\u2019s to ensure that our ideas travel<\/strong>, inspire<\/strong> and create change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              So, the next time you says, “So what if my citation is low?”<\/em>, let\u2019s reframe it as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n

              “How can I help my research make the impact it was meant to make?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

              Because your work does<\/strong> matter, and the world deserves to see it. And I would be very happy to see the positive changes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              In recent discussions around research performance at AHIBS, one topic that consistently surfaces is citations . It is how often our work is referenced by others in the academic community. I recently shared that our school\u2019s average citation count is 488.8, but 24 out of 33 academics are currently below this average. Some may respond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7270,"featured_media":1426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","footnotes":""},"categories":[44,46],"tags":[17,16],"class_list":["post-1936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chronicles","category-research","tag-academics","tag-haliyana-khalid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7270"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1936"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1940,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936\/revisions\/1940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/haliyana\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}