Glanzel, W. 2011. The application of characteristic scores and scales to the evaluation and ranking of scientific journals. JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SCIENCE 37 (1): 40-48

[Eugene Garfield]

Glanzel, W. 2011. The application of characteristic scores and scales to the 
evaluation and ranking of scientific journals. JOURNAL OF INFORMATION 
SCIENCE 37 (1): 40-48.

Author Full Name(s): Glaenzel, Wolfgang
Language: English
Document Type: Article

Author Keywords: citation impact; journal impact; journal ranking; normalisation
KeyWords Plus: CITATION IMPACT; SCIENCE FIELDS; INDICATORS; INDEX

Abstract: Characteristic scores and scales (CSS) were introduced by Glanzel 
and Schubert in 1988. CSS can be applied to analyse the citation impact of any 
subset of a system in comparison with citation patterns of the complete 
system. In this present study, CSS will be applied to individual subfields as 
systems and journals and papers as corresponding subunits. CSS are used as 
parameter-free tools to identify top journals within science fields, to identify 
highly cited papers within fields and journals and to compare the rank 
frequency distribution of highly cited papers over journals with the journal 
ranking according to traditional impact measures. The second part of the study 
is devoted to the possible normalisation of journal impact. In this study, 
threshold values of CSS are used to re-scale the journal-impact distributions. 
The underlying methodology and the outcomes for different subfields 
representing the life sciences, engineering and mathematics are discussed.

Addresses: [Glaenzel, Wolfgang] Katholieke Univ Leuven, Ctr R&D Monitoring 
ECOOM, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium; [Glaenzel, Wolfgang] Hungarian Acad Sci, 
Inst Res Policy Studies, Budapest, Hungary
Reprint Address: Glanzel, W, Katholieke Univ Leuven, Ctr R&D Monitoring 
ECOOM, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium.

E-mail Address: Wolfgang.Glanzel at econ.kuleuven.be
ISSN: 0165-5515
DOI: 10.1177/0165551510392316
URL: http://jis.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/12/30/0165551510392316