Asadi, M; Shekofteh, M. 2009. The relationship between the research activity of Iranian medical universities and their web impact factor. ELECTRONIC LIBRARY 27 (6): 1026-1043.

[Eugene Garfield]

Asadi, M; Shekofteh, M. 2009. The relationship between the research activity 
of Iranian medical universities and their web impact factor. ELECTRONIC 
LIBRARY 27 (6): 1026-1043.

Author Full Name(s): Asadi, Maryam; Shekofteh, Maryam

Language: English
Document Type: Article

Author Keywords: Research; Medical schools; Worldwide web; Students; Iran
KeyWords Plus: INFORMATION; LINKS; DEPARTMENTS

Abstract: Purpose - The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between 
research in Iranian medical universities, together with their Web Impact Factor 
(WIF).
Design/methodology/approach - The Altavista search engine was chosen 
because of its advanced search facilities for counting links and having a wider 
scope of academic web sites than other search engines. It was searched for 
determining the number of pages, in-links and self-links of 42 web sites of 
Iranian medical universities. The Web Impact Factor (WIF) was calculated by 
two formulas and the relationship between the two grades of universities (WIF 
and ISI) was calculated by using the Spearman's correlation coefficient.
Findings - Tehran, Iran and Gilan medical universities had the first to third 
grade in the number of web sites' pages. The number of in-links to Tehran, 
Isfahan and Tabriz medical universities was more than the others. The WIF of 
universities' web sites was counted in four groups with regard to their number 
of web pages and Kerman, Kermanshah, Fasa and Qom had the highest grades 
of WIF in each group, but there was no meaningful relationship between WIF 
grades and ISI grades. Also, the WIF of university web sites was counted with 
regard to the number of their members in the four groups and the result shows 
that Hormozgan, Shiraz, Isfahan and Tehran had the highest grade in each 
group. Again, there was no meaningful relation between WIF grades and ISI 
grades.
Research limitations/implications - It seems that counting the number of in-links 
is a better scale for ranking university web sites than WIF. WIF is proposed 
only in situations where the number of web pages is about equal.
Originality/value - The paper provides rankings, for the first time, of Iranian 
medical university web sites with regard to WIF based on the number of the 
web pages as well as on the number of the academic staff. The research 
shows a methodology that others can follow.

Addresses: [Asadi, Maryam] Sharif Univ Technol, Cent Lib, Tehran, Iran; 
[Shekofteh, Maryam] Shahid Beheshti Univ Med Sci & Human Serv, Paramed 
Fac, Dept Lib & Informat Sci, Tehran, Iran

Reprint Address: Shekofteh, M, Islam Azad Univ, Tehran, Iran.

E-mail Address: shekofteh_m at yahoo.com

ISSN: 0264-0473
DOI: 10.1108/02640470911004101
URL: http://195.92.228.61/10.1108/02640470911004101