ABS: Lehrl, Evaluating scientific performances by impact factors

[Gretchen Whitney]

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TITLE   :       Evaluating scientific performances by impact factors - the
right for equal chances
AUTHOR   Lehrl S
JOURNAL STRAHLENTHERAPIE UND ONKOLOGIE  175: (4) 141-+ APR 1999

 Document type: Review    Language: German    Cited References: 61    Times
Cited: 1


Abstract:
Background: Regularly the Institute of Scientific Information publishes the
impact factor (LF) that plays an increasing role when the scientific quality
of scientific performances of journals, single publications, scientists, and
research groups have to be evaluated in order to support them.

Questions: How valid is the IF assigned to journals, single publications,
scientists, and research groups? Have all these the same chance to be
evaluated? How can fairness of evaluation be increased? Can its validity be
improved?

Results: The value of IF equals the average number of citations per
article published in the preceding 2 calender years in a journal. The
criteria for selection of citing journals and of those with an "official"
IF are not fully explicated. Although the citations have no equal units of
measurement, empirical findings confirm their pragmatic applicability. IF
of journals and even the citation rates of its articles are skewedly
distributed to right hand. Additionnally, the citation rates of the
articles within a journal vary. Therefore, the IF of journals rarely equal
the actual citation rates of their articles. Usually, IF overestimates the
citation rate and quality of the articles. Its tendency not to recognize
low and high quality even increases when IF is administered to individual
scientists and small research groups, whereas it decreases in large
research groups. Under the premise that the extent of scientific quality
corresponds to the amount of information a paper adds to the state of
science, language, actuality etc. are confounders because English,
reviewing, biomedical, and actual articles have preferred citation rates.

Conclusions: Evaluation of scientific performances by IF is to be
restricted to journals and large research groups. Fairness demands
comparisons to homogeneous journals with respect to confounders such as
language, Principally, no journal should be excluded to obtain an IF if it
fullfills the minimum criteria of an internationally communicating
science. For this purpose they have to provide a title, key words, and an
abstract in English, a peer review system etc. Often journals are the
centre of science cultures that an able to generate research of highest
levels. The users can contribute to increase the IF of "their" journal and
to we for the valid application of this indicator.

Author Keywords:
impact factor, bibliometry, evaluation of scientific performance, quality of
research, scientific journals

KeyWords Plus:
JOURNAL IMPACT, CLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY, CITATION-CLASSICS, NUCLEAR-MEDICINE,
SCIENCE, PUBLICATIONS, QUALITY,
INDICATORS, ECONOMICS, PATTERNS

Addresses:
Lehrl S, Univ Erlangen Nurnberg, Abt Med Psychol & Psychopathometrie,
Schwabachanlage 10, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Univ Erlangen Nurnberg, Abt Med Psychol & Psychopathometrie, D-91054
Erlangen, Germany.

Publisher:
URBAN & VOGEL, MUNICH

IDS Number:
186QZ

ISSN:
0179-7158

Copyright © 1999 Institute for Scientific Information
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