Scientometrics
Volume/Issue:
Volume 84: Issue 3
Citations versus journal impact factor as proxy of quality: could the latter ever be preferable?
Authors:
Giovanni Abramo

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Ciriaco D’Angelo University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Laboratory for Studies of Research and Technology Transfer, School of Engineering, Department of Management Via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome Italy

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Flavia Di Costa University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Laboratory for Studies of Research and Technology Transfer, School of Engineering, Department of Management Via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome Italy

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Pages:
821–833
Online Publication Date:
01 Mar 2010
Publication Date:
01 Sep 2010
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0200-1
Keywords:
Research assessment; Bibliometrics; Citations; Impact factor; University
Restricted access

Abstract  

In recent years bibliometricians have paid increasing attention to research evaluation methodological problems, among these being the choice of the most appropriate indicators for evaluating quality of scientific publications, and thus for evaluating the work of single scientists, research groups and entire organizations. Much literature has been devoted to analyzing the robustness of various indicators, and many works warn against the risks of using easily available and relatively simple proxies, such as journal impact factor. The present work continues this line of research, examining whether it is valid that the use of the impact factor should always be avoided in favour of citations, or whether the use of impact factor could be acceptable, even preferable, in certain circumstances. The evaluation was conducted by observing all scientific publications in the hard sciences by Italian universities, for the period 2004–2007. Performance sensitivity analyses were conducted with changing indicators of quality and years of observation.

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Cover Scientometrics
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)

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