"Academics strike back at spurious rankings" (Nature, 31 May)

[Loet Leydesdorff]

> And OA scientometrics are not sophisticated in the sense of depending on
> new, sophisticated statistical techniques -- multiple regression, after
> all, is quite classical -- but in being based on a far larger and richer
> set of metrics than classical citation analysis, thanks to the OA
database.
> 
> Stevan Harnad
> 

Yes, I agree that multiple regression is a classical technique. But one
needs a dependent variable in that case which can be operationalized. Unlike
the case of barometric pressure, we don't have an objective measure, but the
standard has to be constructed. 

All the validated measures seem predictors (independent variables) to me
when one thinks within the model of multiple regression. What do you propose
as the predicted variable? 

With best wishes, 


Loet
________________________________

Loet Leydesdorff 
Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR)
Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam
Tel.: +31-20- 525 6598; fax: +31-20- 525 3681 
loet at leydesdorff.net ; http://www.leydesdorff.net/ 

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