The bibliometric journey towards technological and social change: A review of current challenges and issues

Abstract

The current trends and challenges in the field of bibliometrics are reviewed. To do so, we take the reader along a biblio-metric route with six stations: the explosion of databases, the inflation of metrics, its relationship to Data Science, sear-ching for meaning, evaluative bibliometrics, and diversity and profession. This evaluation encompasses three dimen-sions of the bibliometrics field regarding research evaluation: the technological, the theoretical, and the social. Finally, we advocate for the principles of an evaluative bibliometrics, balancing the power of metrics with expert judgment and science policy.