Present Knowledge Value (PKV) – Methodology
1. Conceptual Overview
The Present Knowledge Value (PKV) is an access-based metric designed to measure the current level of attention received by a scientific or technological paper.
Unlike citation-based metrics that accumulate over long time horizons, PKV applies a time-discounted structure inspired by present value concepts in financial mathematics. Recent access activity contributes more strongly than older activity.
2. Formal Definition
Let:
- m₁ = validated accesses during the most recent one-month period
- m₂ = validated accesses during the period from one month ago to two months ago
- mₙ = validated accesses during the period from (n−1) months ago to n months ago
- γ = discount rate (γ > 0)
The Present Knowledge Value (PKV) is defined as:
This structure discounts past access counts progressively, ensuring that more recent engagement has a stronger influence on the current PKV value.
3. Time-Decay Mechanism
The exponential time-decay mechanism allows PKV to:
- Detect emerging attention trends
- Reduce the influence of historical popularity
- Adapt dynamically to shifts in interest
This design enables PKV to function as a real-time relevance indicator.
4. Data Collection
PKV is calculated based on:
- Access logs recorded via the KnowledgeRank platform
- Validated access events after integrity filtering
- Daily aggregation of validated access counts
Access events include page views of detailed paper information.
5. Data Cleaning and Integrity Measures
To ensure reliability:
- Automated bot traffic is excluded
- Repeated rapid accesses from identical sources are filtered
- Abnormal traffic spikes are subject to anomaly detection
Detailed filtering parameters are not publicly disclosed in order to prevent manipulation.
6. Interpretation
PKV should be interpreted as:
- An indicator of present attention intensity
- A reflection of cross-professional interest
- A complementary metric to citation-based indicators
PKV does not measure scientific quality directly but rather the intensity of current interest.
7. Limitations
PKV has several limitations:
- Depends on platform traffic distribution
- Access does not necessarily imply scholarly citation
- Reflects attention within recorded platform activity
PKV is therefore intended as a complementary metric.
8. Positioning Among Existing Metrics
The Present Knowledge Value (PKV) is positioned among widely recognized research evaluation metrics as follows:
| Metric | Measures | Time Sensitivity | Primary Audience Reflected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citation Count | Number of times a paper is cited in other scholarly publications. | Low — accumulates over long periods. | Academic authors and researchers. |
| Impact Factor | Average citation frequency of articles published in a specific journal. | Moderate — typically calculated over a two-year window. | Academic publishing community. |
| Altmetrics | Online mentions, social media attention, and digital engagement indicators. | High — reacts rapidly to online activity. | General online audience and media ecosystem. |
| Present Knowledge Value (PKV) Proposed Metric | Time-discounted aggregation of validated monthly access counts to individual papers. | Structurally time-weighted — emphasizes recent attention while retaining historical relevance. | Cross-professional users, including researchers, engineers, and applied practitioners. |
Unlike citation-based metrics, PKV directly reflects validated access behavior across diverse professional communities, enabling evaluation of present practical relevance.