Application of network marketing principles for the evaluation of scientific knowledge diffusion

Abstract

A new scientometric indicator for evaluating the knowledge diffusion is suggested in the paper. The indicator has 2 components, which are calculated via the number of direct citations and the number of indirect citations. The proposed approach inherits the mechanisms of evaluation of staff performance in multilevel marketing. An analogue of the direct citation is personal selling of the employee, and an analogue of the indirect citation is the employee’s team selling.