> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.researchgate.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.researchgate.net/stats/citations.md). # Citations ### Page contents * [Overview](#overview) * [Why some citations may not show](#why-some-citations-may-not-show) * [Why your citations might decrease](#why-your-citations-might-decrease) * [Keeping track of your citations](#keeping-track-of-your-citations) #### Overview Your ResearchGate profile's **Stats** tab is your go-to place for a detailed overview of the citations your work has received, helping you track your impact effortlessly. Here, you can see how many times your publications have been cited and where those citations appeared. You can even explore the profiles of researchers who have cited your work. Whenever possible, we'll show you exactly what was said about your research and allow you to view the citation within its original publication. You'll also find this information in your weekly stats report, which is easily accessible from your [Stats tab](https://www.researchgate.net/go.Profile.stats.html). The citations section of your **Stats** tab also features your h-index, a key metric that measures your research output and citation impact. To understand more about your h-index and its calculation, visit [h-index](/stats/h-index.md). On your [Stats tab](https://www.researchgate.net/go.Profile.stats.html), you have the flexibility to track your citations over time, choosing a weekly, monthly, or yearly breakdown to suit your needs. #### Why some citations may not show We work hard to regularly import accurate citation data from various sources. While standard citation styles are usually displayed correctly on ResearchGate, sometimes it can be challenging to ensure complete accuracy. There are a few common reasons why a citation might not appear: * **The citing publication isn't in our database yet.** We can only track citations from research items that are available on ResearchGate. * **Incomplete or inaccurate metadata.** Citations are harder to match when key details like publication date, journal, or abstract are missing or incorrect. * **Scanned PDFs.** We can't extract citations from full-text PDFs created by scanning a hard copy. If you've recently added a publication and notice missing citations, please be patient as it can take some time for us to extract all the citations. Please note that we are unable to manually add citations from other sources like Google Scholar. We understand that it can be frustrating when citations aren't displayed, and we're continuously working on improving our citation extraction and matching processes. #### Why your citations might decrease A decrease in your citation count or h-index can happen for a variety of reasons, including: * Duplicate publications: You might have been cited by a publication that was duplicated in our system. When we merge these duplicates, it can result in a lost citation. * Removed publications: An author of a publication that cited you may have removed their work from our database entirely. With over a billion citations in our database, we are unable to investigate the specific cause of every fluctuation in citation count or h-index. #### Keeping track of your citations When new citations are matched to your publications, you'll typically receive an email or in-platform notification. These citations will be added to your **Stats** tab, though it can take up to 48 hours for these changes to be fully reflected. We appreciate your patience as we work to update your citation count as quickly as possible. You'll find two ways to view your citation data: * Your Citation Graph: This graph on your **Stats** tab shows the progression of your scientific impact over time, based on the publication date of the citing articles. It focuses on your most recent citations. * Your Weekly Stats Report: This report, accessible from your **Stats** tab, provides a detailed breakdown of the citations our algorithms have matched to your publications within that specific week. This highlights recent activity and may include citations from older publications that have recently been matched. It's normal for your citation graph to sometimes show fewer citations than what you see in your weekly report or notifications. This is because the graph prioritizes showing your most recent citations, while the weekly report includes all citations matched in that week, regardless of the citing article's publication date. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://help.researchgate.net/stats/citations.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.