Measuring the Impact of Scientific Research

Abstract

The body of scientific knowledge grows with incremental additions. Assessing the scientific quality and the impact of these contributions is necessary because future scientific research is based on previous knowledge. As the key literature consulted and influenced their work should be cited when researchers publish findings, measures based on citations metrics became the most widely accepted impact assessment tools, and citation analysis is considered an objective means to evaluate scholarly publications. Historical developments, strengths, and limitations in citation-based assessment tools, use of impact factor in measuring the scientific quality of scholarly journals, and use, misuse, and manipulation of the journal impact factor are examined in this chapter. The discussion also includes citation indexes and related issues, and other journal ranking systems. Assessing the performance of individual scientists using citation metrics, the Hirsch index, and many variations proposed to correct its deficiencies are discussed. Although citation metrics can be considered the best tools yet implemented to assess the quality and influence of scientific research, the importance of understanding their strengths, limitations, and implications when using them is stressed.