Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Energy–Exergy–Entropy (or EEE) sequences in bibliometric assessment

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bibliometric research assessment has matured into a quantitative phase using more meaningful measures and analogies. In this paper, we propose a thermodynamic analogy and introduce what are called the energy, exergy and entropy terms associated with a bibliometric sequence. This can be displayed as time series (variation over time), or in event terms (variation as papers are published) and also in the form of phase diagrams (energy–exergy–entropy representations). It is exergy which is the most meaningful single number scalar indicator of a scientist’s performance while entropy then becomes a measure of the unevenness (disorder) of the publication portfolio.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dincer, I., & Cengel, Y. A. (2001). Energy, entropy and exergy concepts and their roles in thermal engineering. Entropy, 3, 116–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glanzel, W. (2006). On the h-index—A mathematical approach to a new measure of publication activity and citation impact. Scientometrics, 67, 315–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glanzel, W. (2008) On some new bibliometric applications of statistics related to the h-index. OR 0801, KU Leuven.

  • Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 102, 16569–16572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2010). Is there a place for a mock h-index? Scientometrics, 84, 153–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert, A., & Glanzel, W. (2007). A systematic analysis of Hirsch-type indices for journals. Journal of Informetrics, 1, 179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sciubba, E., & Wall, G. (2007). A brief commented history of exergy from the beginnings to 2004. International Journal of Thermodynamics, 10, 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to anonymous referees for their valuable comments which have helped to improve the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Science Communication and Information Resources, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Gangan Prathap

Authors
  1. Gangan Prathap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gangan Prathap.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prathap, G. The Energy–Exergy–Entropy (or EEE) sequences in bibliometric assessment. Scientometrics 87, 515–524 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0367-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0367-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation