Wolfang Glanzel's presentation at InSciT2006.

2. BACKGROUND In their discussion paper entitled “Little scientometrics, big scientometrics … and beyond? ” Glänzel & Schopeflin (1994) reported on symptoms of a crisis ( “teething troubles or agony?”). Among others, they mentioned lacking communication, drifting apart of sub-disciplines are and increasing commercialisation of the field. Although the field of bibliometrics/scientometrics became established, a certain ‘perspective shift’ has taken place. Pointing to some of its consequences will be the objective of this talk. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’

6. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ Webometrics Informetrics Mathematics/Physics Library and Information Science Sociology of science History of science Economics Science information Services for Research in Librarianship Science policy Research management Life sciences LINKS WITH SCIENCE FIELDS AND APPLICATION SERVICES Computer science Scientometrics applied basic

7. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ THE “PERSPECTIVE SHIFT” IN USE OF BIBLIOMETRICS

8. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ Bibliometrics represented a statistical approach to master the flood of scientific information and to analyse and to understand the cognitive characteristics of “big science” by measuring quantitative aspects of communication in science and by providing the results to scientists and users outside the scientific community ( Price , 1963) . Monitoring, description and modelling of the production, dissemination and use of knowledge was originally in the foreground.

10. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’

13. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ 1. Changes in methodology and objectives of the field In the paper “Through citations to marks and money” ( Frick , 2004) science policy and research management appears as the only acceptable application of bibliometrics. In the process of evaluation, benchmarking and funding, the role of bibliometrics is reduced to being an auxiliary tool. Narrowing down the discipline to one predominant service task and lacking methodological research might uncouple results from the original context and thus support uninformed use.

14. Research Services What happens if services dominate research? glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’

15. 2. Distorted behaviour based on policy use and misuse of bibliometric data The roots of changing behaviour of scientists can be detected in a time when bibliometrics not yet existed, but bibliometrics might act as catalysator. In particular, an additional issue concerns the changes in the publication, citation and collaboration behaviour of scientists (both positive and negative) that the consistent policy use of bibliometric indicators might potentially induce. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’

16. Studies on the problem choice behaviour of academic scientists have revealed that both cognitive and social influences determine the manner in which scientists go about choosing the problems they work on ( Debackere & Rappa, 1994). Hence the issue should be raised to what extent the policy use of bibliometrics might or could affect this behaviour. Repercussions might be observed when bibliometric tools are used in decision-making in science policy and research management and the scientific community recognises the feedback in terms of their funding . glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’

17. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ Schematic visualisation of the feedback of policy use of bibliometrics on the scientific community Weingart, 2005

22. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ The co-citation based “Atlas of Science” developed and issued by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) was considered a new kind of “review literature” which is also suited to help students in choice of career in science ( Garfield, 1975 ). More recently Noyons observed that many issues brought up in domain mapping studies relate to policy-relevant questions, and consequently described the necessity of the evolution of bibliometric mapping towards a science policy tool. EXAMPLES

24. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ The process of re-interpreting the notion of citation and its consequences Information use Reward system (quality measure) Research evaluation/ Science policy Bibliometrics/ Information science citation uncitedness : unused information frequent cite : good reception self-cite : part of scient. communication interpretation re-interpretation repercussion (possible distortion of citation behaviour) uncitedness : low quality frequent cite : high quality self-cite : distortion of impact

25. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ Glänzel, Thijs, Schlemmer (2004) scientific commucation (18 cites) Schubert, Glänzel, Thijs (2006) fractional counting (0 cites) Glänzel et al. (2006) concise review (1 cites) Thijs & Glänzel (2005) meso indicators (0 cites) Glänzel & Thijs (2004b) co-authorship (4 cites) Glänzel & Thijs (2004a) macro indictors (5 cites) Example for a citation/self-citation network (Papers over author self-citations) Source: Web of Science, updated 14 October 2006)

26. Journal Impact Factor : The journal “Impact Factor” ( Garfield & Sher , 1963) was first used as measure for comparing journals independently of “size” and to help select journals for the Science Citation Index (SCI). Garfield recognised the power of the IF for journal evaluation and considered it also a journal performance indicator. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ EXAMPLES

27. “ American Journal of Transplantation is the leading journal in its field New impact factor for 2005 - 6.002 - Still the #1 transplantation journal (Ranked second in the surgery category)” Source: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1600-6135&site=1 Accessed on 15 September 2006 glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ Example for the role of the Impact Factor

28. Today, IF has become the “ common currency of scientific quality ” ( Sevinc , 2004) Consequence: Several journals have been accused of manipulating impact factor ( Smith , 1997, Weingart , 2005) Moreover, IF increasingly plays an important part in the evaluation of research groups and individuals (‘2 nd order perspective shift’ through uncoupling this measure from its original context). IF seems to be the only convertible currency in research evaluation, and has already influence on scientists’ funding and carrier. glänzel: the ‘perspective shift’ EXAMPLES