Interpreting maps of science using citation context sentiments: a preliminary investigation

It is proposed that citation contexts, the text surrounding references in scientific papers, be analyzed in terms of an expanded notion of sentiment, defined to include attitudes and dispositions toward the cited work. Maps of science at both the specialty and global levels are used as the basis of this analysis. Citation context samples are taken at these levels and contrasted for the appearance of cue word sets, analyzed with the aid of methods from corpus linguistics. Sentiments are shown to vary within a specialty and can be understood in terms of cognitive and social factors. Within-specialty and between-specialty co-citations are contrasted and in some cases suggest a correlation of sentiment with structural location. For example, the sentiment of “uncertainty” is important in interdisciplinary co-citation links, while “utility” is more prevalent within the specialty. Suggestions are made for linking sentiments to technical terms, and for developing sentiment “baselines” for all of science.