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The Impact Factor in non-English-speaking countries

Author

Listed:
  • Gregorio González-Alcaide

    (Universitat de València
    Unidad de Información e Investigación Social y Sanitaria-UISYS)

  • Juan Carlos Valderrama-Zurián

    (Universitat de València
    Unidad de Información e Investigación Social y Sanitaria-UISYS)

  • Rafael Aleixandre-Benavent

    (Unidad de Información e Investigación Social y Sanitaria-UISYS
    Universitat de València, CSIC)

Abstract

The representativeness of the ISI-Thomson Impact Factor rankings and the existing relationship between countries’ national languages and the diffusion of scientific publications is analyzed. We discuss literature on the Impact Factor related to language use, publication strategies for authors and editors from non-English-speaking countries, the effects of the inclusion of a new journal in the ISI-Thomson databases and the scientific policies articulated in some non-English-speaking countries. The adoption of the Impact Factor as the valuation criterion for scientific activities has favoured the consolidation of English language journals in the diffusion of scientific knowledge. The vernacular languages only conserve part of their importance in certain disciplines, such as Clinical Medicine or Social Sciences and Humanities. The Impact Factor, invented over 50 years ago now, could be a limitation for non-English authors and scientific journals, and does not consider some widely used practices among the scientific community concerning the development of Internet as a means for the diffusion of knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregorio González-Alcaide & Juan Carlos Valderrama-Zurián & Rafael Aleixandre-Benavent, 2012. "The Impact Factor in non-English-speaking countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 92(2), pages 297-311, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:92:y:2012:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-012-0692-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-012-0692-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shuhua Wang & Hengjun Wang & Paul R. Weldon, 2007. "Bibliometric analysis of English-language academic journals of China and their internationalization," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 73(3), pages 331-343, December.
    2. Christian Schloegl & Wolfgang G. Stock, 2004. "Impact and relevance of LIS journals: A scientometric analysis of international and German‐language LIS journals—Citation analysis versus reader survey," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 55(13), pages 1155-1168, November.
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