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Benchmarking research performance in a post-Soviet science system: the case of Armenia

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanni Abramo

    (Universitas Mercatorum)

  • Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo

    (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”)

  • Edita Gzoyan

    (Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems of National Academy of Sciences of the RA)

  • Shushanik Sargsyan

    (Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems of National Academy of Sciences of the RA)

Abstract

Thirty years after the dissolution of the USSR, the significant disparity between the research infrastructures of former Soviet republics and Western countries remains evident. Despite various efforts to transform national research systems through policies aimed at encouraging participation in global academic networks, enhancing research quality, and disseminating results through high-impact international journals, the gap persists. This paper first examines the reforms implemented by the Armenian science system to integrate more closely with the European Research Area. It then presents the outcomes of a bibliometric research evaluation exercise, using Italy as a benchmark. Based on 2017–2021 WoS data, we measured the research productivity (scholarly impact) at the individual level of almost 4000 Armenian scientists. By aggregating this data at the meso and macro levels, we provide a comprehensive picture of the Armenian research system’s strengths and weaknesses. These insights are valuable for informing future policy interventions aimed at enhancing the science system through adaptation to global standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo & Edita Gzoyan & Shushanik Sargsyan, 2025. "Benchmarking research performance in a post-Soviet science system: the case of Armenia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(4), pages 2213-2235, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05312-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05312-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo & Flavia Di Costa, 2008. "Assessment of sectoral aggregation distortion in research productivity measurements," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(2), pages 111-121, June.
    2. Vincent Larivière & Éric Archambault & Yves Gingras & Étienne Vignola‐Gagné, 2006. "The place of serials in referencing practices: Comparing natural sciences and engineering with social sciences and humanities," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 57(8), pages 997-1004, June.
    3. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo, 2014. "How do you define and measure research productivity?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(2), pages 1129-1144, November.
    4. Henk F. Moed & Valentina Markusova & Mark Akoev, 2018. "Trends in Russian research output indexed in Scopus and Web of Science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(2), pages 1153-1180, August.
    5. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo & Fulvio Viel, 2013. "Assessing the accuracy of the h‐ and g‐indexes for measuring researchers' productivity," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(6), pages 1224-1234, June.
    6. Jian Wang, 2013. "Citation time window choice for research impact evaluation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(3), pages 851-872, March.
    7. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo & Fulvio Viel, 2013. "Assessing the accuracy of the h- and g-indexes for measuring researchers' productivity," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(6), pages 1224-1234, June.
    8. Abramo, Giovanni & D’Angelo, Ciriaco Andrea, 2016. "A farewell to the MNCS and like size-independent indicators," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 646-651.
    9. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea, 2023. "Warnings of declining research productivity: Does Italy buck the trend?," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(3), pages 557-565.
    10. Serhii Nazarovets, 2020. "Controversial practice of rewarding for publications in national journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(1), pages 813-818, July.
    11. Liv Langfeldt & Ingvild Reymert & Dag W Aksnes, 2021. "The role of metrics in peer assessments [How Incentives Trickle down: Local Use of a National Bibliometric Indicator System]," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(1), pages 112-126.
    12. Henk F. Moed & Felix Moya-Anegon & Vicente Guerrero-Bote & Carmen Lopez-Illescas & Myroslava Hladchenko, 2021. "Bibliometric assessment of national scientific journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 3641-3666, April.
    13. Edita G. Gzoyan & Lusine A. Hovhannisyan & Sofya A. Aleksanyan & Narine A. Ghazaryan & Simon R. Hunanyan & Ahmed Bourghida & Shushanik A. Sargsyan, 2015. "Comparative analysis of the scientific output of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 195-212, January.
    14. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo & Myroslava Hladchenko, 2023. "Assessing the effects of publication requirements for professorship on research performance and publishing behaviour of Ukrainian academics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(8), pages 4589-4609, August.
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