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Citation-based metrics are appropriate tools in journal assessment provided that they are accurate and used in an informed way

Author

Listed:
  • Henk F. Moed

    (Elsevier, SciVal)

  • Lisa Colledge

    (Elsevier, SciVal)

  • Jan Reedijk

    (Leiden University
    King Saud University)

  • Felix Moya-Anegon

    (Scimago, CSIC, CCHS, IPP)

  • Vicente Guerrero-Bote

    (Universidad de Extremadura)

  • Andrew Plume

    (Research & Academic Relations)

  • Mayur Amin

    (Research & Academic Relations)

Abstract

In a reply to Jerome K. Vanclay’s manuscript “Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?” we discuss the value of journal metrics for the assessment of scientific-scholarly journals from a general bibliometric perspective, and from the point of view of creators of new journal metrics, journal editors and publishers. We conclude that citation-based indicators of journal performance are appropriate tools in journal assessment provided that they are accurate, and used with care and competence.

Suggested Citation

  • Henk F. Moed & Lisa Colledge & Jan Reedijk & Felix Moya-Anegon & Vicente Guerrero-Bote & Andrew Plume & Mayur Amin, 2012. "Citation-based metrics are appropriate tools in journal assessment provided that they are accurate and used in an informed way," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 92(2), pages 367-376, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:92:y:2012:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-012-0679-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-012-0679-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Dorta-González, Pablo & Dorta-González, María Isabel & Santos-Peñate, Dolores Rosa & Suárez-Vega, Rafael, 2014. "Journal topic citation potential and between-field comparisons: The topic normalized impact factor," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 406-418.
    4. Seiler, Christian & Wohlrabe, Klaus, 2014. "How robust are journal rankings based on the impact factor? Evidence from the economic sciences," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 904-911.
    5. David I. Stern, 2013. "Uncertainty Measures for Economics Journal Impact Factors," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 51(1), pages 173-189, March.
    6. Tânia F. G. G. Cova & Alberto A. C. C. Pais & Sebastião J. Formosinho, 2013. "Iberian universities: a characterisation from ESI rankings," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(3), pages 1239-1251, March.
    7. Jakob Kapeller & Matthias Aistleitner & Stefan Steinerberger, 2017. "Citation Patterns in Economics and Beyond: Assessing the Peculiarities of Economics from Two Scientometric Perspectives," ICAE Working Papers 60, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    8. Jessica Petersen & Fabian Hattke & Rick Vogel, 2017. "Editorial governance and journal impact: a study of management and business journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1593-1614, September.
    9. Zeki Simsek & Ciaran Heavey & Justin J. P. Jansen, 2013. "Journal Impact as a Diffusion Process: A Conceptualization and the Case of the Journal of Management Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(8), pages 1374-1407, December.
    10. Yves Fassin, 2021. "Does the Financial Times FT50 journal list select the best management and economics journals?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 5911-5943, July.
    11. Cristina López-Duarte & Marta M. Vidal-Suárez & Belén González-Díaz & Nuno Rosa Reis, 2016. "Understanding the relevance of national culture in international business research: a quantitative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1553-1590, September.
    12. Matthias Aistleitner & Jakob Kapeller & Stefan Steinerberger, 2018. "Citation Patterns in Economics and Beyond," Working Papers Series 85, Institute for New Economic Thinking.
    13. Lehmann, Robert & Wohlrabe, Klaus, 2017. "Who is the ‘Journal Grand Master’? A new ranking based on the Elo rating system," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 800-809.
    14. Massucci, Francesco Alessandro & Docampo, Domingo, 2019. "Measuring the academic reputation through citation networks via PageRank," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 185-201.
    15. Stuart Brody, 2013. "Impact factor: Imperfect but not yet replaceable," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 96(1), pages 255-257, July.
    16. Kun Lu & Isola Ajiferuke & Dietmar Wolfram, 2014. "Extending citer analysis to journal impact evaluation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 100(1), pages 245-260, July.
    17. Keshra Sangwal, 2013. "Some citation-related characteristics of scientific journals published in individual countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 97(3), pages 719-741, December.
    18. Brenda Cheang & Chongshou Li & Andrew Lim & Zhenzhen Zhang, 2015. "Identifying patterns and structural influences in the scientific communication of business knowledge," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 103(1), pages 159-189, April.
    19. Dorta-González, P. & Dorta-González, M.I., 2013. "Impact maturity times and citation time windows: The 2-year maximum journal impact factor," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 593-602.
    20. Raminta Pranckutė, 2021. "Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: The Titans of Bibliographic Information in Today’s Academic World," Publications, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-59, March.
    21. Finardi, Ugo, 2013. "Correlation between Journal Impact Factor and Citation Performance: An experimental study," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 357-370.
    22. Yi-Ching Liaw & Te-Yi Chan & Chin-Yuan Fan & Cheng-Hsin Chiang, 2014. "Can the technological impact of academic journals be evaluated? The practice of non-patent reference (NPR) analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(1), pages 17-37, October.
    23. Sangwal, Keshra, 2013. "Citation and impact factor distributions of scientific journals published in individual countries," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 487-504.

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