Applied evaluative informetrics

Description

This book presents an introduction to the field of applied evaluative informetrics, dealing with the use of bibliometric or informetric indicators in research assessment. It sketches the field’s history, recent achievements, and its potential and limits. The book dedicates special attention to the application context of quantitative research assessment. It describes research assessment as an evaluation science, and distinguishes various assessment models, in which the domain of informetrics and the policy sphere are disentangled analytically. It illustrates how external, non-informetric factors influence indicator development, and how the policy context impacts the setup of an assessment process. It also clarifies common misunderstandings in the interpretation of some often used statistics. Addressing the way forward, the book expresses the author’s critical views on a series of fundamental problems in the current use of research performance indicators in research assessment. Highlighting the potential of informetric techniques, a series of new features is proposed that could be implemented in future assessment processes. It sketches a perspective on altmetrics and proposes new lines in longer term, strategic indicator research. It is written for interested scholars from all domains of science and scholarship, and especially for all those subjected to research assessment, research students at advanced master and PhD level, research managers, funders and science policy officials, and to practitioners and students in the field. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Introduction (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 3-17 Synopsis (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 19-41 Front Matter ....Pages 43-43 Multi-dimensional Research Performance (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 45-59 Informetric Tools (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 61-77 Statistical Aspects (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 79-86 Front Matter ....Pages 87-87 Research Assessment as an Evaluation Science (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 89-102 Non-informetric Factors Influencing Indicator Development (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 103-117 The Policy Context (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 119-127 Front Matter ....Pages 129-129 Major Problems in the Use of Informetric Indicators (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 131-139 The Way Forward in Quantitative Research Assessment (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 141-152 A Perspective on Altmetrics (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 153-159 The Way Forward in Indicator Development (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 161-174 Front Matter ....Pages 175-175 From Derek Price’s Network of Scientific Papers to Advanced Science Mapping (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 177-191 From Eugene Garfield’s Citation Index to Scopus and Google Scholar (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 193-208 From Francis Narin’s Science-Technology Linkages to Double Boom Cycles in Technology (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 209-227 From Journal Impact Factor to SJR, Eigenfactor, SNIP, CiteScore and Usage Factor (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 229-244 From Relative Citation Rates to Altmetrics (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 245-258 Front Matter ....Pages 259-259 A Comparative Study of Five World University Rankings (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 261-285 Comparing Full Text Downloads and Citations (Henk F. Moed)....Pages 287-300 Back Matter ....Pages 301-312