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Are publications on zoological taxonomy under attack?

Ângelo Parise Pinto1, Gabriel Mejdalani2, Ross Mounce3

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Misuse of bibliometric indexes like the Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) hinders taxonomic research. A study found a sociological bias, the "Zootaxa phenomenon," inflated self-citations, impacting taxonomy

Keywords:
Journal Impact Factor (JIF)bibliometricsbiodiversity crisisscientometricssystematics

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Area of Science:

  • Zoological taxonomy and biological sciences.
  • Bibliometrics and scientific publishing.

Background:

  • The biodiversity crisis highlights taxonomy's importance.
  • Bibliometric indexes, such as the Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF), are widely promoted but have inadequacies for assessing taxonomic publications.
  • The mega-journal Zootaxa was suppressed from the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) due to a high self-citation rate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of bibliometric misuse on taxonomic research production.
  • To analyze the bibliometric performance of zoological journals, focusing on self-citation rates.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of Journal Citation Reports (JCR) metrics from 2010-2018 for 123 zoological journals.
  • Comparative analysis of citation data, particularly self-citation, among journals publishing taxonomic studies.

Main Results:

  • Zootaxa received 311% more citations than the second most cited journal.
  • Zootaxa exhibited significantly higher self-citation rates compared to similar journals.
  • The study identified the 'Zootaxa phenomenon,' a sociological bias contributing to its high self-citation and visibility.

Conclusions:

  • The high self-citation rate in Zootaxa is attributed to sociological bias rather than its scope or mega-journal status.
  • Misuse of bibliometrics poses a threat to the progress of taxonomy.
  • Taxonomists should prioritize direct engagement with the practice and promotion of science over statistically unsound journal metrics.