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Following the impact factor: Utilitarianism or academic compliance?

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  • Hall, C. Michael
  • Page, Stephen J.

Abstract

The use of impact factors has grown substantially in academia and publishing far beyond their original intended use. They are now used extensively in academic and research assessments as well as in the promotion of journals, publishers, institutions and individuals. The implications of such metricisation for understandings of research quality are discussed as well as for research strategies, the commercialisation of academic publishing, the disciplining of academic knowledge and publishing strategies, knowledge development and the further neoliberalisation of higher education. The paradoxes and problems of current and potential future directions are discussed including with respect to the development of open access publications.

Suggested Citation

  • Hall, C. Michael & Page, Stephen J., 2015. "Following the impact factor: Utilitarianism or academic compliance?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 309-312.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:51:y:2015:i:c:p:309-312
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2015.05.013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas, Rhodri & Ormerod, Neil, 2017. "The (almost) imperceptible impact of tourism research on policy and practice," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 379-389.
    2. Page, Stephen J. & Hartwell, Heather & Johns, Nick & Fyall, Alan & Ladkin, Adele & Hemingway, Ann, 2017. "Case study: Wellness, tourism and small business development in a UK coastal resort: Public engagement in practice," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 466-477.
    3. Liwei Cai & Jiahao Tian & Jiaying Liu & Xiaomei Bai & Ivan Lee & Xiangjie Kong & Feng Xia, 2019. "Scholarly impact assessment: a survey of citation weighting solutions," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(2), pages 453-478, February.
    4. Nunkoo, Robin & Hall, C. Michael & Rughoobur-Seetah, Soujata & Teeroovengadum, Viraiyan, 2019. "Citation practices in tourism research: Toward a gender conscientious engagement," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Prebensen, Nina K., 2017. "The mediating effect of real life encounters in co-writing tourism books," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Gianna Moscardo, 2021. "Using Systems Thinking to Improve Tourism and Hospitality Research Quality and Relevance: A Critical Review and Conceptual Analysis," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Giacomo Marzi & Marina Dabić & Tugrul Daim & Edwin Garces, 2017. "Product and process innovation in manufacturing firms: a 30-year bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 113(2), pages 673-704, November.
    8. Rob Law & Daniel Leung, 2020. "Journal impact factor: A valid symbol of journal quality?," Tourism Economics, , vol. 26(5), pages 734-742, August.
    9. Alfirević Nikša & Pavičić Jurica & Rendulić Darko, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Public Business School Scientific Productivity and Impact in South-East Europe (2017-2021)," South East European Journal of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 27-45, June.

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