  We perform a statistical analysis of scientific-publication data with a goal
to provide quantitative analysis of scientific process. Such an investigation
belongs to the newly established field of scientometrics: a branch of the
general science of science that covers all quantitative methods to analyze
science and research process. As a case study we consider download and citation
statistics of the journal `Europhysics Letters' (EPL), as Europe's flagship
letters journal of broad interest to the physics community. While citations are
usually considered as an indicator of academic impact, downloads reflect rather
the level of attractiveness or popularity of a publication. We discuss
peculiarities of both processes and correlations between them.
