ABS: Geisler, The Metrics of Science and Technology

[Gretchen Whitney]

THE METRICS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

By: Elie Geisler, Ph.D.
Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology
author e-mail: geisler at stuart.iit.edu

SUMMARY: Dr. GeislerÕs far-reaching and unique book provides an
encyclopedic compilation of the key metrics used to measure and evaluate
the impact of science and technology in academia, industry and
government. Focusing on such items as economic measures, patents, peer
review, co-word analysis, technology mapping, bibliometrics, and process
measures, and supported by an extensive review of the literature,
Dr. Geisler gives a thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses
inherent in metric design, and in the specific use of individual
metrics. This book has already received much attention, and will certainly
prove especially valuable for academics in technology management,
engineering, biological sciences, and science policy. It will also be of
much value to industrial R&D executives and policymakers, government
science and technology executives, and scientists and managers in research
and technology organizations.

This book is unique in that for the first time the key metrics of
assessing science and technology are brought together and analyzed as to
their utilization, their benefits, and their strengths and weaknesses. The
book also discusses the use of metrics in public-sector science and
technology, and provides a comparison between private and public
evaluations.

CONTENTS: Preface; Historical Overview; A Short History; The emergence of
institutions; Metrics: approaches, methods, techniques; Measurement
concepts and issues; selecting a metric; inputs to science and
technology; outputs from science and technology; Categories and
metrics; Economic and Financial metrics; Bibliometric
measures: Publications and citations; Co-Word analysis and mapping of
science and technology; The metric of patents; the metric of peer
Review; The metric of Process Outcomes; Performance of science and
technology; Applications: The valueÑin practiceÑof science and
technology; Metrics and evaluation of Academic Science and
Technology; Metrics and evaluation of Industrial science and
technology; Science, Technology and strategy; Metrics and evaluation of
Public-Sector science and technology; Methods and evaluation of National
Innovation systems; Values, Ethics, and Implications; Selected
Bibliography; Index.

ISBN 1-56720-213-6, 400 pages, published by Quorum Books, Greenwood Press,
Westport, CT., 2000, and can be obtained at Greenwood, Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble.com

(c) The author