When a research article X cites another article Y, it could be because of any of the following:
- X develops the ideas of Y
- the ideas presented in X bear a degree of resemblance to those of Y
- X compares its results to those of Y
- etc.
When I study the literature in my research area, I would like to categorize the relationships between papers in a way similar to the above example. However, I would prefer to use an existing categorization that people have thought through instead of inventing a wheel. I performed a few searches, but have not discovered any such categorization. Do such categorizations exist? I would appreciate some pointers.