Source: http://lib.guides.umd.edu/bibliometrics/bibliometrics
DEFINITION: Bibliometrics
Limitations of bibliometrics
How to Find Citation Impact?
White Paper
Bibliometrics - Bibliometrics and Altmetrics: Measuring the Impact of Knowledge - LibGuides at University of Maryland Libraries
DEFINITION: Bibliometrics
Bibliometrics,
or research impact, is the quantitative method of citation and content
analysis for scholarly journals, books and researchers. The quantitative
impact of a given publication is appraised by measuring the amount of
times a certain work is cited by other resources. By implication, you
can measure the influence or 'impact' that a given work has on the rest
of academic literature. Bibliometrics should always be supplemented by
qualitative peer review and a strong argument on impact in a personal
statement.
Bibliometrics is based upon statistical sampling. It is based upon
certain assumptions. These assumptions must be accounted for in any
appraisal.
or research impact, is the quantitative method of citation and content
analysis for scholarly journals, books and researchers. The quantitative
impact of a given publication is appraised by measuring the amount of
times a certain work is cited by other resources. By implication, you
can measure the influence or 'impact' that a given work has on the rest
of academic literature. Bibliometrics should always be supplemented by
qualitative peer review and a strong argument on impact in a personal
statement.
Bibliometrics is based upon statistical sampling. It is based upon
certain assumptions. These assumptions must be accounted for in any
appraisal.
Limitations of bibliometrics
In this short video, Dr. Kevin Lalor, School of Social
Sciences and Law, Dublin Institute of Technology, highlights some of the
limitations of use of journal impact data in the social sciences and
humanities and all the types of publication that are missed.
Sciences and Law, Dublin Institute of Technology, highlights some of the
limitations of use of journal impact data in the social sciences and
humanities and all the types of publication that are missed.
How to Find Citation Impact?
To tell your impact story, you need to find the citation count of your research papers through citation databases and alternative metrics tools.
They are key instruments that allow a user to understand the impact of
an individual published paper or of a researcher's body of work.
Citation databases and altmetrics tools can be used for the following:
They are key instruments that allow a user to understand the impact of
an individual published paper or of a researcher's body of work.
Citation databases and altmetrics tools can be used for the following:
- To show the impact an article has by showing the number of times it has been cited since it was published.
- To compile the references that the author of the publication used.
- To identify and read the most influential publications in a particular field.
- To find related work and to track the development of a certain publication.
 | It is important to note that not all databases have a complete record of information regarding a certain published item. It would be wise to use multiple databases to fully utilize this feature. |
White Paper
A Guide to Evaluating Research Performance with Citation Data
"If you can measure that of which you speak, and can express it
by a number, you know something of your subject; but if you cannot
measure it, your knowledge is meager and unsatisfactory."
~ William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
"If you can measure that of which you speak, and can express it
by a number, you know something of your subject; but if you cannot
measure it, your knowledge is meager and unsatisfactory."
~ William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
Pendlebury, D. A. (n.d.). Using Bibliometrics in Evaluating Research (White Paper). Research Department, Thomson Reuters, Philadelphia, PA USA.
Ten Rules in Using Publication and Citation AnalysIs
- Consider whether available data can address the question.
- Choose publication types, field definitions, and years of data.
- Decide on whole or fractional counting.
- Judge whether data require editing to remove “artifacts”.
- Compare like with like.
- Use relative measures, not just absolute counts.
- Obtain multiple measures.
- Recognize the skewed nature of citation data.
- Confirm that the data collected are relevant to the question.
- Ask whether the results are reasonable.
Bibliometrics - Bibliometrics and Altmetrics: Measuring the Impact of Knowledge - LibGuides at University of Maryland Libraries