Rousseau R. "Conglomerates as a general framework for informetric research" INFORMATION PROCESSING & MANAGEMENT 41 (6): 1360-1368 DEC 2005

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: ronald.rousseau at khbo.be


Title: Conglomerates as a general framework for informetric research

Author(s): Rousseau R

Source: INFORMATION PROCESSING & MANAGEMENT 41 (6): 1360-1368 DEC 2005

Document Type: Article   Language: English
Cited References: 33     Times Cited: 0

Abstract: We introduce conglomerates as a general framework for informetric
(and other) research. A conglomerate consists of two collections: a finite
source collection and a pool, and two mappings: a source-item map and a
magnitude map. The ratio of the sum of all magnitudes of item-sets, and the
number of elements in the source collection is called the conglomerate
ratio. It is a kind of average, generalizing the notion of an impact
factor. The source-item relation of a conglomerate leads to a list of
sources ranked according to the magnitude of their corresponding item-sets.
This list, called a Zipf list, is the basic ingredient for all
considerations related to power laws and Lotkaian or Zipfian informetrics.
Examples where this framework applies are: impact factors, including web
impact factors, Bradford-Lotka type bibliographies, first-citation studies,
word use, diffusion factors, elections and even bestsellers lists. (c) 2005
Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addresses: Rousseau R (reprint author), Assoc KU Leuven, KHBO, Zeedijk 101,
Oostende, B-8400 Belgium
Assoc KU Leuven, KHBO, Oostende, B-8400 Belgium
Univ Antwerp, IBW, Antwerp, B-2610 Belgium

E-mail Addresses: ronald.rousseau at khbo.be

Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE,
KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND
Subject Category: COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INFORMATION
SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE
IDS Number: 956XE

ISSN: 0306-4573


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