Sobre o uso da web of science como fonte para as histórias da ciência

Abstract

In this article we analyze the use of citations in the history of science using ISI's Web of Scince database as a source. We examine three possibilities for using this source from the articles relevant to the history of the controversy over the foundations of quantum physics. The two main possibilities of using the ISI can be considered auxiliary, because they show quantitative aspects that depend on a qualitative analysis prior to its application. The third possibility of use also depends on qualitative analyses, but it seems to be a more fundamental resource than the previous ones, as it allows finding evidence that, otherwise, would be practically impossible to be retrieved. The use of quantitative methods in citation analysis is contrasted with favorable and contrary opinions found in the literature on the subject.