A paper’s index citation number basically shows how much that research has impacted other academics. It’s a count of how many times a paper has been referenced or cited by other scholarly works over time. So a high index citation count means the paper has gotten a ton of mentions from other researchers in the field. This suggests it’s been pretty influential and recognized for making an important contribution that’s moved knowledge forward in that area. On the flip side, a low index citation count implies the paper hasn’t been referred to as much by peers and has had a more modest effect on the discipline. The index citation metric is a good indicator of how useful fellow academics have found the paper to be for their own work. It reflects how significant the paper’s concepts and findings have been in shaping discussion and progress in that corner of research. So in simple terms, a paper’s index citation number quantifies its impact and resonance in academic circles. It shows how much the paper has shaped thinking and influenced other scholars, based on how frequently it gets brought up in the literature.