Information Metrics (iMetrics): A Research Specialty with a Socio-Cognitive Identity?

[Loet Leydesdorff]

Information Metrics ( <http://arxiv.org/abs/1209.3406> iMetrics): A Research
Specialty with a Socio-Cognitive Identity?

Scientometrics (forthcoming)

 

"Bibliometrics", "scientometrics", "informetrics", and "webometrics" can all
be considered as manifestations of a single research area with similar
objectives and methods, which we call "information metrics" or iMetrics.
This study explores the cognitive and social distinctness of iMetrics with
respect to the general information science (IS), focusing on a core of
researchers, shared vocabulary and literature/knowledge base. Our analysis
investigates the similarities and differences between four document sets.
The document sets are drawn from three core journals for iMetrics research
(Scientometrics, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and
Technology, and Journal of Informetrics). We split JASIST into document sets
containing iMetrics and general IS articles. The volume of publications in
this representation of the specialty has increased rapidly during the last
decade. A core of researchers that predominantly focus on iMetrics topics
can thus be identified. This core group has developed a shared vocabulary as
exhibited in high similarity of title words and one that shares a knowledge
base. The research front of this field moves faster than the research front
of information science in general, bringing it closer to Price's dream. 

 

Available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1209.3406  ; ** apologies for
cross-postings

 

  _____  

Staša Milojević

School of Library and Information Science, 

Indiana University, Bloomington 47405-1901, United States; 

smilojev at indiana.edu .

  _____  

Loet Leydesdorff 

Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR)
Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
 <mailto:loet at leydesdorff.net> loet at leydesdorff.net ;
<http://www.leydesdorff.net/> http://www.leydesdorff.net/ 



 

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