Abstract
A debate has occurred recently over the issue whether it is possible to account for differences in results when using various versions of theScience Citation Index for the measurement of national performance in terms of numbers of scientific publications. This article provides an overview of the various arguments which have been made, and reports that recent reorganization in the on-line installations (SciSearch) should make it possible to circumvene one of the major sources of error.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes and references
L. LEYDESDORFF, Problems with the “measurement” of national scientific performance,Science and Public Policy, 15 (1988) 149–152; J. ANDERSON, P. M. D. COLLINS J. IRVINE, P. A. ISARD, B. R. MARTIN, F. NARIN, K. STEVENS, ‘On-line approaches to measuring national scientific output—A cautionary tale’,Science and Public Policy, 15 (1988) 153–161; L. LEYDESDORFF, ‘Performance figures for British science’,Science and Public Policy, 15 (1988) 270.
Among others: B. R. MARTIN, J. IRVINE, ‘Assessing basic research: Some partial indicators of scientific progress in radio astronomy’,Research Policy, 12 (1983) 61–90; H.F. MOED, W. J. M. BURGER, J. G. FRANKFORT, A. F. J. Van RAAN,On the Measurement of Research Performance: The Use of Bibliometric Indicators, Research Policy Unit, Leiden, 1983; T. BRAUN, W. GLÄNZEL, A. SCHUBERT,Scientometric Indicators. A 32-Country Comparative Evaluation of Publishing Performance and Citation Impact. World Scientific, Singapore/Philadelphia, 1985; M. CALLON, L. LEYDESDORFF ‘La recherche française, est-elle en bonne santé,La Recherche, number 86, March 1987, 412–19.
E. GARFIELD,Citation Indexing, New York, etc.: Wiley, 1979.
F. NARIN,Evaluative Bibliometrics, Computer Horizons Inc., Cherry Hill, 1976.
For example: T. BRAUN, W. GLÄNZEL, A. SCHUBERT, World flash on basic research. The newest version of the facts and figures on publication output and relative citation impact of 100 countries, 1981–1985,Scientometrics, 13 (1988) 181–188; T. BRAUN, W. GLÄNZEL, A. SCHUBERT, An alternative quantitative approach to the assessment of national performance in basic research; Ciba-Foundation Symposium onThe Evaluation of Scientific Research, London, 6–8 June 1988: T. BRAUN, A. SCHUBERT, S. ZSINDELY, The decline of British analytical chemistry: Fact or artifact,Analytical Proceedings, 26/3 (1989) 87–91.
T. BRAUN, personal communication.
L. I. LANGBEIN, A. J. LICHTMAN,Ecological Inference, Sage Series of Quantitative Application in the Social Sciences, Nr. 07-010. Beverly Hills, etc.: 1978: P. Van EEDEN, H. J. M. HUTTNER,Multilevel Research, Beverly Hills, etc.: Sage, 1982.
B. R. MARTIN, J. IRVINE, F. NARIN, C. STERRITT, The continuing decline of British science,Nature, 330 (12 November 1987) 123–26; J. IRVINE, B. MARTIN, International comparions of scientific performance revisited,Scientometrics, 15 (1989) (forthcoming).
S. GILLMOR, Ionospheric physics,Social Studies of Science, 16 (1986) 117.
A. F. J. Van RAAN, personal communication.
Op. cit. note 2, 1988.
See Table 1 in:Op. cit., note 2, 1988.
Op. cit., note 2..
E. GARFIELD, How do we select journals for Current Contents?Current Contents, November 5, 1979; E. GARFIELD, 1979, Op. cit., note 4.Citation Indexing. New York, etc.: Wiley, 1979.
The debate has focussed on the coverage of third world country journals, M. J. MORAVCSIK (Ed.),Strengthening the Coverage of Third World Science, Oregon University, Oregon, 1986.
See for some figures: J. ANDERSON et al. Op. cit., note 2, p. 155.
D. De SOLLA PRICE, Networks of scientific papersScience, 149 (1965) 510.
J. IRVINE, B. MARTIN, T. PEACOCK, R. TURNER Charting the decline of British science,Nature, 316 (15 August 1985) 587–590; ABRC,Evaluation of National Performance in Basic Research. A review of Techniques for Evaluating National Performance in Basic Research, with Case Studies in Genetics and Solid State Physics. ABRC Science Policy Studies No. 1, London, 1986; B. R. MARTIN e.a., 1987. Op. cit., note 10 B. R. MARTIN, J. IPRVINE, F. NARIN, C. STERRITT, The continuing decline of British science,Nature, 330 (12 November 1987) 123–26
L. LEYDESDORFF, Various methods for the mapping of science,Scientometrics, 11 (1987) 291–320; R. TIJSSEN, J. De LEEUW, A. F. J. Van RAAN, Quasi-correspondence analysis on square scientometric transaction matrics,Scientometrics, 11 (1987) 347–361; P. DOREIAN, T. J. FARARO, Structural equivalence in a journal network,JASIS 36 (1985) 28–37.
L. LEYDESDORFF, P. Van der SCHAAR, The use of scientometric methods for evaluating national research programs,Science and Technology Studies, 5 (1987) 22–32 See also the various studies mentioned in note 25.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Leydesdorff, L. The science citation index and the measurement of national performance in terms of numbers of scientific publications. Scientometrics 17, 111–120 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017727
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017727