Abstract
Publication and citation indicators of groups are thought to enhance the quality and legitimacy of science policy decisions. While these indicators might be of value from a policy pont of view, the relation between these cumulative data and the local circumstances that influence the development of scientific knowledge has not been explored extensively. In this paper it is argued that publication and citation patterns related to research units are influenced by local circumstances. Toxicology is chosen as an example because it is directed at solving social problems and relates to local practices. In this paper, output indicatiors of Dutch toxicological research units are related to qualitative information on the strategies of these units. it can be shown that the variation in output and citation indicators can be explained in terms of local variations in context. Such variations in local organizational settings should caution against the application of scientometric studies to measure impact as an indicator of scientific quality.
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Notes and references
H. F. MOED, W. J. M. BURGER, J. G. FRANKFORT, A. F. J. Van RAAN,On the Measurement of Research Performance: the Use of Bibliometric Indicators, Leiden, Research Policy Unit of the University of Leiden, 1983, pp. 1–199.
MOED et al. (1983) op. cit. H. F. MOED, W. J. M. BURGER, J. G. FRANKFORT, A. F. J. Van RAAN, The use of bibliometric data for the measurement of university research performance,Research Policy, 14 (1985) 131–149.
MOED et a.. (1983) found generally that the scientists' own opinions agreed with the outcomes of citation and publication analysis.
Claims have been substantially modified with regard to the aspects of quality or impact which can be measured by impact indicators. See for example on the measure used in this paper H. F. MOED, A. F. J. Van RAAN, Observations and hypotheses on the phenomenon of multiple citation to a research group's oeuvre,Scientometrics, 10 (1986) 17–34.
National Survey Committee on Biochemistry (Verkenningscommissie Biochemie),Over Leven, Den Haag, Staatsuitgeverij, 1982.
H. RIGTER, Evaluation of performance of health research in the Netherlands,Science Policy, 15 (1986) 33–48.
H. F. MOED, W. J. M. BURGER, J. G. FRANKFORT, A. F. J. Van RAAN, The application of bibliometric indicators: Important field- and time-dependent factors to be considered,Scientometrics, 8 (1985) 177–203.
P. GROENEWEGEN,Scientists, Audiences and Resources, The Development of Dutch Toxicological Research, Thesis Amsterdam june 1988.
C. D. KLAASSEN, M. O. AMDUR, J. DOULL (Eds),Casarett and Doull's Toxicology, The Basic Science of Poisons, New York, McMillan, 1986.
P. GROENEWEGEN, Attracting audiences and the emergence of Dutch toxicology, in: S. S. BLUME, L. LEYDESDORFF, J. BUNDERS, R. D. WHITLEY (Eds),The Social Direction of the Public Sciences. Sociology of the Sciences Yearbook, Vol XI (1987) Reidel, Dordrecht, p. 307–328.
MOED op cit (1983).
See for the full account of the development of Dutch toxicology my forthcoming thesis; P. GROENEWEGEN (1988) op. cit.Scientists, Audiences and Resources, The Development of Dutch Toxicological Research, Thesis Amsterdam june.
Language use has been covered in a similar vein with regard to fisheries research in: R. B. BALDAUF, Jr., B. H. JERNUDD, Language use patterns in the fisheries periodical literature,Scientometrics, 5 (1983) 245–255.
MOED et al. (1985) 133.
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Groenewegen, P. Influences of local and organizational factors on output indicators. Scientometrics 15, 409–422 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017062
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017062