Rowlands, I; Nicholas, D "The missing link: journal usage metrics" ASLIB PROCEEDINGS 59 (3). 2007. p.222-228

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail: i.rowlands at ucl.ac.uk

TITLE:          The missing link: journal usage metrics (Article, English)

AUTHOR:         Rowlands, I; Nicholas, D

SOURCE:         ASLIB PROCEEDINGS 59 (3). 2007. p.222-228 EMERALD GROUP
                PUBLISHING LIMITED, BRADFORD

Document Type: Article 
Language: English 
Cited References: 6      Times Cited: 0   
     
Abstract: 
Purpose - The aim of this short communication is to contribute to a growing 
debate about how we can measure the "quality" of journals. More 
specifically, the paper argues the need for a new range of standardized 
indicators based on reader (rather than author-facing) metrics. 
Design/methodology/approach - This is a thought experiment, outlining the 
kinds of usage indicators that could be developed alongside the traditional 
ISI measures of impact, immediacy and obsolescence.

Findings - The time is ripe to develop a set of standardised. measures of 
journal usage that are as easy to understand, and as universally accepted, 
as ISI's current citation-based indicators. By linking article publication 
year to full text downloads, this article argues that very considerable 
value could be extracted from what, in many cases, is almost 
uninterpretable data.

Practical implications - Indicators in the form proposed could find a wide 
variety of applications, from helping librarians to assess the potential 
value-for-money of bundled journal deals, to helping policy-makers and 
scholarly communication researchers to better understand the dynamics of 
knowledge diffusion.

Originality/value - The development of standardized usage factors in the 
form suggested here would radically shift the centre of gravity in 
bibliometrics research from the author to the reader. This remains largely 
unexplored territory.

 
Addresses: Rowlands I (reprint author), Univ Coll London, Sch Lib Archive & 
Informat Studies, CIBER, London WC1E 6BT, England
Univ Coll London, Sch Lib Archive & Informat Studies, CIBER, London WC1E 
6BT, England

Publisher: EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED, 60/62 TOLLER LANE, BRADFORD 
BD8 9BY, W YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND 
Subject Category: Computer Science, Information Systems; Information 
Science & Library Science 
IDS Number: 181AC 

ISSN: 0001-253X 

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