What is bibliometrics?
Bibliometrics refers to a collection of quantitative methods used to analyse research publications.
Bibliometrics can be used to measure:
- Scientific production and productivity
- The impact of a publication
- Topic structure and relationships
The basic assumption of bibliometrics is that most research findings are eventually published as articles in international scientific or academic journals where they are read by other researchers who go on to cite these articles in their own work. The more citations an article receives, the greater the impact it can be assumed to have.
What is bibliometrics used for?
Bibliometrics is used for example in evaluating and monitoring research output, as well as resource allocation at international, national, and institutional levels.
For more information about analyzing research and bibliometrics, please see the webpages of The Swedish Research Council.