Citation Visibility vs. Citation Reality: A Case Study of Google Scholar Limitations in Southeastern European Academic Publications

This study examines the discrepancy between actual scholarly usage and algorithmically detected citation counts within contemporary academic indexing systems, with particular focus on Google Scholar. Using a corpus of publications in Hebrew linguistics, Biblical philology, and related disciplines, the research analyzes how citations embedded in heterogeneous academic environments—especially in Southeastern European publications—are frequently underrepresented due to technical limitations in automated parsing. The methodological approach integrates bibliometric analysis, repository-based verification, and technical evaluation of document structures, including OCR quality, metadata consistency, and citation formatting. The study identifies systemic factors contributing to citation invisibility, including non-standard reference practices, scanned documents, multilingual publication contexts, and inconsistent bibliographic conventions. The findings demonstrate that citation visibility within Google Scholar is not a direct reflection of scholarly impact but rather a function of technical compatibility with parsing algorithms. This has significant implications for the evaluation of academic output, particularly in regions where publication practices diverge from standardized formats. The study contributes to ongoing discussions in digital humanities and bibliometrics by proposing a hybrid model of citation assessment that combines automated indexing with curated verification. It further provides a framework for improving citation detectability through standardized referencing and repository integration. Also available at the following links: https://works.hcommons.org/records/tget7-ama64 https://www.academia.edu/166172320/Citation_Visibility_vs_Citation_Reality_A_Case_Study_of_Google_Scholar_Limitations_in_Southeastern_European_Academic_Publications