Article Citation Tracking Exercise: An Activity in Assessing Research Impact and the Interdisciplinary Nature of Chemistry

Primary literature searching and the utility of research articles in chemistry teaching and instructions provide connections between conceptual understanding and the application of chemical knowledge. Article citation tracking, an often-neglected dimension in literature exploration, expands information seeking and provides opportunities to track how the reported breakthroughs of a research article are utilized and how the science behind the work progresses. Tracking published works that cite an article can be an effective methodology to gauge the impact of the work not just on the chemical sciences but also on other fields, thus highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry. The activity reported herein explores the utility of article citation tracking as an exercise for students to realize the potential impact of a published work and how the findings, whether infinitesimal or grand, contribute to creating knowledge and their applications in dealing with contemporary issues. The activity uses citation databases and indexing platforms for the learners to generate information such as the type of documents that cite a paper, the field or subject area of the citing articles, and the evaluation of the reasons for citing the work. Implemented among students taking introductory chemistry classes, encompassing psychology, medical technology, and nursing students, the exercise captures the enhancement of information-gathering skills, effectively incorporating research into classroom instructions and promoting critical thinking among students. Anchoring on an active cognition framework that weaves information and extracts related scientific concepts, this exercise addresses the adoption of strategies serving the global drive for sustainability in science education.