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The principal aim of this study is to examine the transmission of ideas across time in disciplines selected from the humanities and social sciences. Citation analysis is used to trace the diffusion of ideas as they are embodied in monographic publications. The study is part of a developing research programme and is intended to establish a framework to inform future developments. Four specific hypotheses are developed and tested. They are concerned with: the relative impact of monographs and journal articles produced within a discipline; the distinction between core and non‐core group monographs; the correlation between the reception and intellectual survival of a monograph; and the comparative level of impact of monographic and journal article publication by a single author. It is concluded that the presence of core or elite groups can be perceived in all aspects of the study. The validity of the methodologies employed is strengthened by the sharp distinctions between groups of monographs and of authors revealed by the analysis of data. Further analysis is needed to explore intra‐ and inter‐disciplinary diffusion of ideas over time in greater depth.