Frequently Asked Questions

A citation map is a visual representation showing the geographic locations of institutions that have cited your research papers. It helps demonstrate the global reach and impact of your academic work, which is especially valuable for visa petitions, grant applications, and understanding your research influence.

Simply search for your name on Citation Map. We automatically generate a geographic citation map showing which institutions worldwide have cited your work. No coding, Python scripts, or registration required. The entire process takes just seconds.

Citation Map uses Google Scholar — the world's largest academic search index — as its data source. Google Scholar covers papers across every discipline and is updated continuously, so your map reflects the most current view of who's citing your work. No subscription, no API key, no Web of Science fees.

Yes. Citation Map is designed to help prove 'Original Contributions of Major Significance' and 'International Acclaim' for US O-1A and EB-1A visa petitions. Immigration attorneys use our maps as evidence in petition packages. Export your map as a high-resolution PNG perfect for legal documents. See our dedicated guide at /guides/eb1a-citation-map.

An EB-1A citation map demonstrates 'extraordinary ability' under the Kazarian criteria. It directly evidences (1) original contributions of major significance — institutions in many countries adopting your work — and (2) sustained international acclaim — a broad geographic citation footprint. Citation counts, country coverage, and top-tier citing institutions are all attorney-friendly exhibits. Not legal advice; consult an immigration attorney.

Yes. EB-1B requires international recognition as an outstanding researcher or professor. A citation map shows 'international recognition' visually by plotting every country citing your work, and evidences 'original scientific or scholarly research contributions' through citation volume and breadth. EB-1B typically has a lower bar than EB-1A because it requires employer sponsorship.

For EB-2 NIW, a citation map supports the Matter of Dhanasar three-prong test. Prong 1 (substantial merit + national importance) is evidenced when citations come from diverse US and international institutions — showing broad adoption of your endeavor. Prong 2 (well-positioned to advance the endeavor) is supported by recognition from leading citing institutions. See /guides/niw-citation-map.

EB-1A requires extraordinary ability (no employer needed, highest bar). EB-1B requires outstanding researcher status with employer sponsorship. EB-2 NIW requires advanced degree + national interest argument (Dhanasar test). All three benefit from a citation map, but framing differs: EB-1A stresses acclaim breadth, EB-1B stresses international recognition, EB-2 NIW stresses impact on a nationally-important endeavor.

Citation Map and Connected Papers serve different purposes. Connected Papers shows how papers are related through citations (citation networks), while Citation Map shows the geographic distribution of your citations on a world map. For visa petitions proving international acclaim, Citation Map is more suitable as it visually demonstrates global reach.

No. Unlike GitHub citation-map scripts that require Python installation and coding knowledge, Citation Map is a web-based tool. Just enter your name and get your citation map instantly in your browser. No technical skills required.

Yes! We provide an embed code that you can copy and paste into your website, blog, or academic portfolio. The embedded map is interactive and automatically updates when new citations are added upstream.

Our data source updates daily, so your citation map reflects recent publications and citations. When you load your profile page, we fetch the latest data to ensure accuracy.

Yes! You can export your citation map as a high-resolution PNG image, which is perfect for including in visa petitions, grant applications, presentations, or your CV. You can also export the underlying data as a CSV file.

If your work isn't appearing, it may not yet be indexed in our upstream catalog. The catalog has broad coverage but may not include very recent publications or those from smaller publishers.

Yes, Citation Map is completely free to use. We believe in democratizing access to research analytics. All core features including map generation, embedding, and exporting are available at no cost.

Absolutely! Each researcher profile has a shareable URL, and we provide social sharing buttons for Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and other platforms. Share your global research impact with your network.