Ranking Web (Webometrics) of Universities

[Isidro F. Aguillo]

Quoting Loet Leydesdorff:

> Adminstrative info for SIGMETRICS (for example unsubscribe):
> http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/sigmetrics.html
>
>> Using a mix of heterogeneous indicators will always permit one to 
>> say that the mix bag represent the “overall” activity of an 
>> institution. It is like saying that the sum of temperature and 
>> humidity gives the “overall weather” as opposed to temperature.
>
> Dear Yves: I agree. We need a multi-variate model, including 
> co-variates, etc. For example, the “document type” can make a 
> difference. Furthermore, most distributions are skewed and thus 
> non-parametric statistics are needed. “Average impact” is not good 
> enough.

Loet, everybody agrees with that. Politicians, rectors, managers, faculty members and even students and their families are eagerly awaiting for this model and a ranking (or similar tool) based on it.

But asking for it is not enough, action is needed. For example consider the huge impact of the publication of Shanghai ranking (ARWU) in 2003. Probably we can agree that it is merely high school level bibliometrics, but this is not the important question. In my humble opinion the success of ARWU is probably a illustrating a collective failure of our discipline.

Best regards,

> A bientot (in Montreal),
>
> Best,
> Loet
>
>

-- 
Isidro F. Aguillo, HonPhD
Cybermetrics Lab (3C1). CCHS - CSIC
Albasanz, 26-28. 28037 Madrid. Spain

isidro.aguillo @ cchs.csic.es
www. webometrics.info
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