New developments in the use of citation analysis in research evaluation

Area of Science:

• Quantitative Science and Technology Studies
• Bibliometrics
• Research Evaluation

Background:

• Evaluative bibliometrics is a subfield of quantitative science and technology studies.
• It focuses on developing methodologies for research performance assessment using quantitative statistical analysis of scholarly documents.
• Citation analysis is a core methodology within this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of research assessment methodologies in evaluative bibliometrics.
• To illustrate the potential and limitations of bibliometric indicators in research assessment.
• To discuss key aspects of bibliometric analysis for research evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Overview of evaluative bibliometric methodologies.
• Analysis of citation analysis as a key technique.
• Discussion of various bibliometric indicators and their applications.

Main Results:

• Bibliometric indicators offer quantitative insights into research performance.
• Potentialities and limitations of indicators like journal impact factors and Hirsch indices are discussed.
• The relationship between metrics and peer review is examined.

Conclusions:

• Bibliometric indicators are valuable tools for research assessment but have limitations.
• Understanding the pros and cons of different indicators is crucial for accurate evaluation.
• Approaches to measuring institutional research performance using bibliometrics are presented.