Citability Index

The Citability Index is the scoring model used to quantify the structural citability of a product family or a source set.

It gives the organization a concrete way to evaluate whether its information is usable for generative selection, instead of relying on intuition or generic content opinions.

How it is built

The index normally assigns a score to the five dimensions of structural citability: parameterization, terminological consistency, public accessibility, explicit comparability, and coherent distribution.

Each dimension is scored on a fixed scale so the total can be compared across product families and across time.

Typical scoring logic

A common approach is to assign a score from 0 to 4 to each dimension. That produces a total score out of 20 for every product family under analysis.

• 0 — the dimension is effectively absent.
• 1 — the dimension appears only marginally or inconsistently.
• 2 — there is a partial presence, but it is weak or irregular.
• 3 — the dimension is strong with a few residual gaps.
• 4 — the dimension is consistently and clearly implemented.

What it is for

• Diagnosis — it shows where the main structural weaknesses are.
• Priority setting — it helps decide which family or source deserves intervention first.
• Progress tracking — it makes improvement visible between audit cycles.

Relation to QPR

The index does not replace QPR. QPR measures outcome in the answer. The Citability Index measures the structural conditions that help explain that outcome.

Industrial example

A supplier of hydraulic components may score 1/4 on parameterization, 1/4 on terminology, 2/4 on accessibility, 0/4 on comparability, and 1/4 on coherent distribution. The resulting 5/20 helps explain why QPR remains at 0% even though the company is active online.

A gearbox manufacturer with a score around 17/20 across the same dimensions would usually provide a far better basis for generative inclusion and comparison.