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Fewer numbers, better science

Author

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  • Rinze Benedictus

    (Rinze Benedictus is staff adviser at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, and a PhD candidate at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.)

  • Frank Miedema

    (Frank Miedema is professor of immunology, and dean and vice-chairman of the executive board of the University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. He is one of the founders of Science in Transition.)

  • Mark W. J. Ferguson

    (Mark W. J. Ferguson is director-general of Science Foundation Ireland, and chief scientific adviser to the Government of Ireland.)

Abstract

Scientific quality is hard to define, and numbers are easy to look at. But bibliometrics are warping science — encouraging quantity over quality. Leaders at two research institutions describe how they do things differently.

Suggested Citation

  • Rinze Benedictus & Frank Miedema & Mark W. J. Ferguson, 2016. "Fewer numbers, better science," Nature, Nature, vol. 538(7626), pages 453-455, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:538:y:2016:i:7626:d:10.1038_538453a
    DOI: 10.1038/538453a
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Elizabeth Troncoso & Daniel A. López & René Ruby-Figueroa & Dieter Koch & Ricardo Reich, 2024. "Does Quality Matter? Quality Assurance in Research for the Chilean Higher Education System," Publications, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Alessandro Margherita & Gianluca Elia & Claudio Petti, 2022. "What Is Quality in Research? Building a Framework of Design, Process and Impact Attributes and Evaluation Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Mark Bukowski & Sandra Geisler & Thomas Schmitz-Rode & Robert Farkas, 2020. "Feasibility of activity-based expert profiling using text mining of scientific publications and patents," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 123(2), pages 579-620, May.
    4. Matthew J Michalska-Smith & Stefano Allesina, 2017. "And, not or: Quality, quantity in scientific publishing," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-12, June.
    5. Rafols, Ismael & Stirling, Andy, 2020. "Designing indicators for opening up evaluation. Insights from research assessment," SocArXiv h2fxp, Center for Open Science.
    6. Fecher, Benedikt & Fräßdorf, Mathis & Hebing, Marcel & Wagner, Gert G., 2017. "Replikationen, Reputation und gute wissenschaftliche Praxis," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 68(2-3), pages 154-158.
    7. Rodrigo Costas & Thomas Franssen, 2018. "Reflections around ‘the cautionary use’ of the h-index: response to Teixeira da Silva and Dobránszki," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(2), pages 1125-1130, May.
    8. Faiza Qayyum & Muhammad Tanvir Afzal, 2019. "Identification of important citations by exploiting research articles’ metadata and cue-terms from content," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(1), pages 21-43, January.
    9. Corsini, Alberto & Pezzoni, Michele & Visentin, Fabiana, 2022. "What makes a productive Ph.D. student?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    10. Xue Wei & Chen Liang & Wenhui Chen, 2022. "Exploring Current Status and Evolutionary Trends on the Paid Use of State-Owned Forest Resources in China: A Bibliometric Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, May.
    11. Ádám Kun, 2018. "Publish and Who Should Perish: You or Science?," Publications, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-16, April.

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