Measuring research impact in the 21st century: are alternative metrics the answer?

Impacts can be classified in various forms, primarily under two subgroups: central impact and oblique impact. A central impact occurs when two objects collide head-on, possessing opposite velocities aligned along the line of impact. Conversely, an oblique impact occurs when two objects collide at an angle, resulting in a modification of both direction and velocity.
The coefficient of restitution is a metric for understanding the dynamics of impacts. It quantifies the ratio of relative velocity...

The International System of Units or SI system, by international agreement, has fixed measurement units for seven fundamental properties: length, mass, time, temperature, electric current, amount of substance, and luminosity. These are called the SI base units.

Every measurement provides three kinds of information: the size or magnitude of the measurement (a number), a standard of comparison for the measurement (a unit), and an indication of the uncertainty of the measurement. While the number and unit are explicitly represented when a quantity is written, the uncertainty is an aspect of the errors in the measurement results.

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...

Statgraphics is a comprehensive statistical software suite designed for both basic and advanced data analysis. Originating in 1980 at Princeton University under Dr. Neil W. Polhemus, it was one of the pioneering tools for statistical computing on personal computers, with its public release in 1982 marking an early milestone in data science software. Over the years, it has evolved into a robust platform for data science, offering tools for regression analysis, ANOVA, multivariate statistics,...

Direct methods for measuring microbial populations in a culture are essential tools in microbiology, providing quantitative data for various applications. Among these, microscopic counts, plate counts, and serial dilution are widely used techniques, each with unique principles and applications.Microscopic CountsMicroscopic counting involves the use of a Petroff-Hausser chamber, a specialized microscope slide with a grid and defined depth. By observing a liquid culture under a microscope,...