Scientometrics
Encyclopedia
Scientometrics is the science of measuring and analysing science
. In practice, scientometrics is often done using bibliometrics
which is a measurement of the impact of (scientific) publications. Modern scientometrics is mostly based on the work of Derek J. de Solla Price
and Eugene Garfield
. The latter founded the Institute for Scientific Information
which is heavily used for scientometric analysis. Methods of research include qualitative, quantitative and computational approaches. One significant finding in the field is a principle of cost escalation to the effect that achieving further findings at a given level of importance grow exponentially more costly in the expenditure of effort and resources. However, new methods in search, machine learning and data mining are showing that is not the case for many information retrieval and extraction based problems. Related fields are the history of science and technology
, philosophy of science
and sociology of scientific knowledge
.
Journals in the field include Scientometrics
and Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. The International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics
founded in 1993 is an association of professionals in the field.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. In practice, scientometrics is often done using bibliometrics
Bibliometrics
Bibliometrics is a set of methods to quantitatively analyze scientific and technological literature. Citation analysis and content analysis are commonly used bibliometric methods...
which is a measurement of the impact of (scientific) publications. Modern scientometrics is mostly based on the work of Derek J. de Solla Price
Derek J. de Solla Price
Derek John de Solla Price was a physicist, historian of science, and information scientist,credited as the father of scientometrics.-Biography:...
and Eugene Garfield
Eugene Garfield
Eugene "Gene" Garfield is an American scientist, one of the founders of bibliometrics and scientometrics. He received a PhD in Structural Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1961. Dr. Garfield was the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information , which was located in...
. The latter founded the Institute for Scientific Information
Institute for Scientific Information
The Institute for Scientific Information was founded by Eugene Garfield in 1960. It was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, became known as Thomson ISI and now is part of the Healthcare & Science business of the multi-billion dollar Thomson Reuters Corporation.ISI offered...
which is heavily used for scientometric analysis. Methods of research include qualitative, quantitative and computational approaches. One significant finding in the field is a principle of cost escalation to the effect that achieving further findings at a given level of importance grow exponentially more costly in the expenditure of effort and resources. However, new methods in search, machine learning and data mining are showing that is not the case for many information retrieval and extraction based problems. Related fields are the history of science and technology
History of science and technology
The history of science and technology is a field of history which examines how humanity's understanding of the natural world and ability to manipulate it have changed over the centuries...
, philosophy of science
Philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
and sociology of scientific knowledge
Sociology of scientific knowledge
The sociology of scientific knowledge ' is the study of science as a social activity, especially dealing "with the social conditions and effects of science, and with the social structures and processes of scientific activity."...
.
Journals in the field include Scientometrics
Scientometrics (journal)
Scientometrics is a peer reviewed journal in the field of scientometrics. It is currently published by Akadémiai Kiadó and Springer Science+Business Media and has appeared continuously since 1978....
and Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. The International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics
International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics
ISSI: The International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics- History :The Society was founded at the International Conference on Bibliometrics, Informetrics and Scientometrics held in Berlin, 11–15 September in 1993. This conference was the fourth of a series of prominent biennial...
founded in 1993 is an association of professionals in the field.
See also
- Citation analysisCitation analysisCitation analysis is the examination of the frequency, patterns, and graphs of citations in articles and books. It uses citations in scholarly works to establish links to other works or other researchers. Citation analysis is one of the most widely used methods of bibliometrics...
- College and university rankingsCollege and university rankingsCollege and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
- SCImago Journal RankSCImago Journal RankSCImago Journal Rank is a measure of scientific influence of scholarly journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from. The SJR indicator is a variant of the eigenvector centrality measure...
- ScopusScopusScopus, officially named SciVerse Scopus, is a bibliographic database containing abstracts and citations for academic journal articles. It covers nearly 18,000 titles from over 5,000 international publishers, including coverage of 16,500 peer-reviewed journals in the scientific, technical, medical,...
Further reading
- Derek J. Price, Little Science, Big Science (New York, 1963)
- G. M. Dobrov, Wissenschaftswissenschaft (Berlin, 1970)
- Nicholas Rescher, Scientific Progress (Oxford, 1978)
- Nicholas Rescher, Epistemetrics (Cambridge, 2006)
External links
- Harnad, S.Stevan HarnadStevan Harnad is a cognitive scientist.- Career :Harnad was born in Budapest, Hungary. He did his undergraduate work at McGill University and his graduate work at Princeton University's Department of Psychology...
(2009) Open Access Scientometrics and the UK Research Assessment Exercise. Scientometrics 79 (1) - Harnad, S. (2008) Validating Research Performance Metrics Against Peer Rankings. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics 8 (11)
- The Places & Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit at the American Museum of Science and EnergyAmerican Museum of Science and EnergyThe American Museum of Science and Energy is a science museum in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, designed to teach both children and adults about energy, especially nuclear power, and to document the role Oak Ridge played in the Manhattan Project. The museum opened as the American Museum of Atomic Energy in...
, September 7, 2007 – January 7, 2008.