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Benchmarking bibliometrics in biomedical research: research performance of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, 2008–2012

Author

Listed:
  • James D. O’Leary

    (Hospital for Sick Children
    University of Toronto)

  • Mark W. Crawford

    (Hospital for Sick Children
    University of Toronto)

  • Eva Jurczyk

    (University of Toronto)

  • Alison Buchan

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

Bibliometrics are often used as key indicators when evaluating academic groups and individual researchers in biomedical research. Citation metrics, when used as indicators of research performance, require accurate benchmarking for homogenous groups. This study describes the research performance of academic departments in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine using article-level bibliometrics for scientific papers published from 2008 to 2012. Eligible publications of all academic faculty members were verified from each researcher’s curriculum vitae and Web of Science® (Thomson Reuters). For 3792 researchers, we identified 26,845 unique papers with 79,502 authors published from 2008 to 2012. The overall mean citations per paper for the faculty was 17.35. The academic departments with the highest levels of collaboration and interdisciplinary research activity also had the highest research impact. The citation window for biomedical scientific papers was still active at 5 years after publication, indicating that the citation window for publications in biomedical research is active longer than previously thought, and this may hinder the reliable use of bibliometrics when evaluating recent scientific publications in biomedical research.

Suggested Citation

  • James D. O’Leary & Mark W. Crawford & Eva Jurczyk & Alison Buchan, 2015. "Benchmarking bibliometrics in biomedical research: research performance of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, 2008–2012," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(1), pages 311-321, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:105:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-015-1676-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-015-1676-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jian Wang, 2013. "Citation time window choice for research impact evaluation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(3), pages 851-872, March.
    2. J. Britt Holbrook & Kelli R. Barr & Keith Wayne Brown, 2013. "We need negative metrics too," Nature, Nature, vol. 497(7450), pages 439-439, May.
    3. Philip Ball, 2007. "Achievement index climbs the ranks," Nature, Nature, vol. 448(7155), pages 737-737, August.
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    1. Maxim Kotsemir & Sergey Shashnov, 2017. "Measuring, analysis and visualization of research capacity of university at the level of departments and staff members," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1659-1689, September.
    2. Luigi Aldieri & Maxim N. Kotsemir & Concetto Paolo Vinci, 2020. "The Effects of Collaboration on Research Performance of Universities: an Analysis by Federal District and Scientific Fields in Russia," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 766-787, June.
    3. Luigi Aldieri & Gennaro Guida & Maxim Kotsemir & Concetto Paolo Vinci, 2019. "An investigation of impact of research collaboration on academic performance in Italy," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 2003-2040, July.
    4. Sokolov, Alexander & Shashnov, Sergey & Kotsemir, Maxim & Grebenyuk, Anna, 2019. "Quantitative analysis for a better-focused international STI collaboration policy: A case of BRICS," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 221-242.
    5. Alison M. J. Buchan & Eva Jurczyk & Ruth Isserlin & Gary D. Bader, 2016. "Global neuroscience and mental health research: a bibliometrics case study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(1), pages 515-531, October.
    6. Aldieri, Luigi & Kotsemir, Maxim & Vinci, Concetto Paolo, 2018. "The impact of research collaboration on academic performance: An empirical analysis for some European countries," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 13-30.

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