An overview of author-level indicators of research performance

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to present a critical overview of author-level indicatorindividual level indicators of research production (author-levelindicators of research production (ALIRP)), discuss their appropriate application and provide a tool to support the informed use of ALIRP. A brief history of the development of ALIRP begins with a chronological discussion of the major trends in indicator development, which documents the quick adaptation of ALIRP in evaluation practice, and consequently sets the argument for the need to monitor and evaluate present-day indicator production, which is the major theme of this chapter. The characteristics and common mathematical properties of ALIRP are used to highlight the challenges we face in applying appropriate ALIRP in evaluation. The construction and validity validity of 69 ALIRP are analyzed, and the results presented in table form for easy reference. These tables are also available as interactive tables provided as e-material to this chapter. This analysis, combined with the deconstruction of indicators in the chapter sections, argues that ALIRP are mathematical models, and the numerical values they produce should never be confused with the reality they are trying to model in evaluation practice.