Donovan, C (Donovan, Claire) The hidden perils of citation counting for Australasian political science AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, 42 (4): 665-678 DEC 2007 - and reply by Goldfinch, S

[Eugene Garfield]

Email address: claire.donovan at anu.edu.au

Author(s): Donovan, C (Donovan, Claire) 

Title: The hidden perils of citation counting for Australasian political 
science 

Source: AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, 42 (4): 665-678 DEC 2007 

Language: English 

Document Type: Editorial Material 

Keywords Plus: SOCIAL-SCIENCES; SOCIOLOGY; DISCIPLINES; HUMANITIES; BOOKS 

Abstract: In a recent article in Australian Journal of Political Science, 
Dale and Goldfinch present 'standard' journal-based publication and 
citation rankings of Australasian political science departments designed 
to complement what they characterise as the multidisciplinary, historical, 
qualitative and humanistic political science of the region. However, 
the 'highly cited' articles in their top-ranked political science 
department belong to quantitative psychology. Through unravelling why 
their study favours the opposite of that which 4 was meant. to detect, 
this paper alerts political scientists to the hidden perils of 
accepting 'standard' Institute of Scientific Information-based approaches 
to citation counting as valid measures of research 'quality'. It exposes 
the veiled bibliometric assumption that the 'best' social science. is 
quantitative research, notes that incongruous citation scores may inform 
the distribution of block funding and departmental appointment processes, 
and warns against using 'standard' data to unintentionally self-police the 
future shape of Australasian political science. 

Cited Reference Count: 30
 
Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD 

Publisher Address: 4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, 
OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND 

ISSN: 1036-1146


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Goldfinch, S (Goldfinch, Shaun) Measuring research and citation analyses 
in Australasian political science units: A reply to Donovan AUSTRALIAN 
JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, 42 (4): 679-681 DEC 2007 

Email address: shaun.goldfinch at stonebow.otago.ac.nz

Author(s): Goldfinch, S (Goldfinch, Shaun) 

Title: Measuring research and citation analyses in Australasian political 
science units: A reply to Donovan 

Source: AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, 42 (4): 679-681 DEC 2007 

Language: English 

Document Type: Editorial Material 

Keywords Plus: RATES 

Addresses: Amer Univ Sharjah, Sch Business & Management, Sharjah, U Arab 
Emirates 

Reprint Address: Goldfinch, S, Amer Univ Sharjah, Sch Business & 
Management, Sharjah, U Arab Emirates. 

Cited Reference Count: 5 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD 

Publisher Address: 4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, 
OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND 

ISSN: 1036-1146 


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