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Should we use the mean citations per paper to summarise a journal’s impact or to rank journals in the same field?

Author

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  • Michael C. Calver

    (Murdoch University)

  • J. Stuart Bradley

    (Murdoch University)

Abstract

The mean citations per paper is used increasingly as a simple metric for indicating the impact of a journal or comparing journal rankings. While convenient, we suggest that it has limitations given the highly skewed distributions of citations per paper in a wide range of journals.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael C. Calver & J. Stuart Bradley, 2009. "Should we use the mean citations per paper to summarise a journal’s impact or to rank journals in the same field?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 81(3), pages 611-615, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:81:y:2009:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-008-2229-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-008-2229-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huang Yi & Xiaolan Ao & Yuh-Shan Ho, 2008. "Use of citation per publication as an indicator to evaluate pentachlorophenol research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(1), pages 67-80, April.
    2. Zhi Li & Yuh-Shan Ho, 2008. "Use of citation per publication as an indicator to evaluate contingent valuation research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(1), pages 97-110, April.
    3. B. S. Kademani & Vijai Kumar & Ganesh Surwase & Anil Sagar & Lalit Mohan & Anil Kumar & C. R. Gaderao, 2007. "Research and citation impact of publications by the Chemistry Division at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 71(1), pages 25-57, April.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Walters, William H., 2017. "Do subjective journal ratings represent whole journals or typical articles? Unweighted or weighted citation impact?," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 730-744.
    2. Waltman, Ludo, 2016. "A review of the literature on citation impact indicators," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 365-391.
    3. Boris Forthmann & Mark Leveling & Yixiao Dong & Denis Dumas, 2020. "Investigating the quantity–quality relationship in scientific creativity: an empirical examination of expected residual variance and the tilted funnel hypothesis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2497-2518, September.
    4. Lior Rokach, 2012. "Applying the Publication Power Approach to Artificial Intelligence Journals," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(6), pages 1270-1277, June.
    5. Michael Calver & Grant Wardell-Johnson & Stuart Bradley & Ross Taplin, 2010. "What makes a journal international? A case study using conservation biology journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 85(2), pages 387-400, November.
    6. 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.
    7. Vîiu, Gabriel-Alexandru, 2017. "Disaggregated research evaluation through median-based characteristic scores and scales: a comparison with the mean-based approach," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 748-765.
    8. Zhihui Zhang & Ying Cheng & Nian Cai Liu, 2015. "Improving the normalization effect of mean-based method from the perspective of optimization: optimization-based linear methods and their performance," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 587-607, January.
    9. Serenko, Alexander & Dohan, Michael, 2011. "Comparing the expert survey and citation impact journal ranking methods: Example from the field of Artificial Intelligence," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 629-648.

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