ABS: Smith, A tale of two web spaces: Comparing sites using web impact factors

[Gretchen Whitney]

Author's E-mail : Alastair.Smith at vuw.ac.nz

TITLE   :       A tale of two web spaces: Comparing sites using web impact
factors
AUTHOR  Smith AG
JOURNAL JOURNAL OF DOCUMENTATION  55: (5) 577-592 DEC 1999

 Document type: Article    Language: English    Cited References: 11
Times Cited: 1


Abstract:
Ingwersen has suggested the web impact factor (WIF) as a means for comparing
relative attractiveness or influence of web
spaces. The WIF of a web space is the number of pages linking to a web
space, divided by the number of pages in the web
space. The numbers of links and pages can be determined using web search
engines such as AltaVista, and this paper examines
methodological issues associated with this determination. Three distinct
WIFs can be calculated: the external WIF, reflecting the
number of pages linking from outside the web space being measured; the
self-link WIF, reflecting links made from inside the web
space; and an overall WIF, combining external and self-links. External WIFs
are probably the most significant. WIFs can be
calculated for top level domains such as countries; however these appear to
be unreliable. This paper compares WIFs for two
different types of web spaces: Australasian universities and Australasian
electronic journals. For large organisations such as
universities or research institutions, WIFs seem to be a useful measure of
the overall influence of the web space. However for
smaller spaces such as electronic journals the WIF is less reliable as a
measure.

KeyWords Plus:
WORLD-WIDE-WEB

Addresses:
Smith AG, Victoria Univ Wellington, Sch Commun & Informat Management, POB
600, Wellington, New Zealand.
Victoria Univ Wellington, Sch Commun & Informat Management, Wellington, New
Zealand.

Publisher:
ASLIB, LONDON

IDS Number:
264RX

ISSN:
0022-0418

Cited Author            Cited Work
Volume      Page      Year

                       CYBERMETRICS
1997
                       WHY USE GOOGLE
1999
 ALMIND TC             J DOC
53       404           1997
 CRONIN B              J DOC
52       163           1996
 GAIRIN R              REV ESPANOLA DOCUMEN
20       175           1997
 INGWERSEN P           COMMUNICATION   0917
1998
 INGWERSEN P           J DOC
54       236      1998
 LARSON RR             BIBLIOMETRICS WORLD
1996
 NOTESS G              SEARCH ENGINE STAT D
1999
 ROUSSEAU R            CYBERMETRICS                                     1
1997
 TESTA J               ISI DATABASE J SLECT
1998

----------------------------

(c) ISI, Reprinted with permission
Please visit their website at www.isinet.com