Advantages and limitations in the use of impact factor measures for the assessment of research performance

Maria Bordons; M. Fernández; Isabel Gómez

doi:10.1023/a:1014800407876

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Scientometrics

Volume/Issue:: Volume 53: Issue 2

Advantages and limitations in the use of impact factor measures for the assessment of research performance

Authors:

Maria Bordons

Maria Bordons Centro de Información y Documentación Científica (CINDOC-CSIC) 28002 Madrid Joaquín Costa # 22 28002 Madrid Joaquín Costa # 22

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M. Fernández

M. Fernández Centro de Información y Documentación Científica (CINDOC-CSIC) Spain Spain

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, and

Isabel Gómez

Isabel Gómez Centro de Información y Documentación Científica (CINDOC-CSIC) 28002 Madrid Joaquín Costa # 22 28002 Madrid Joaquín Costa # 22

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Pages:: 195–206

Online Publication Date:: 03 Nov 2004

Publication Date:: 01 Feb 2002

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1014800407876

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Abstract

Impact factor is a quasi-qualitative indicator, which provides a measurement of the prestige and international visibility of journals. Although the use of impact factor-based indicators for science policy purposes has increased over the last two decades, several limitations have been pointed out and should be borne in mind. The use of impact factor should be treated carefully when applied to the analysis of peripheral countries, whose national journals are hardly covered by ISI databases. Our experience in the use of impact factor based indicators for the analysis of the Spanish scientific production is shown. The usefulness of the impact factor measures in macro, meso and micro analyses is displayed. In addition, the main advantages, such as the great accessibility of impact factor and its ready-to-use nature are pointed out. Several limitations such as the need to avoid inter-field comparisons or the convenience of using a fixed journal set for international comparisons are also stressed. It is worth noting that the use of impact factor in the research evaluation process has influenced strongly the publication strategy of scientists.

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Scientometrics

Print ISSN:: 0138-9130

Online ISSN:: 1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language	English
Size	B5
Year of Foundation	1978
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	12
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2861 (Online)