  In this comment, I discuss the use of statistical inference in citation
analysis. In a recent paper, Williams and Bornmann argue in favor of the use of
statistical inference in citation analysis. I present a critical analysis of
their arguments and of similar arguments provided elsewhere in the literature.
My conclusion is that the use of statistical inference in citation analysis
involves major conceptual difficulties and, consequently, that the usefulness
of statistical inference in citation analysis is highly questionable.
