- Information Science, Information Visualization, Sociology of Science, Bibliometrics, Scientometrics, Scholarly Communication, and 26 moreLibrary Science, Library and Information Science, Academic Libraries, Evaluation Research, Higher Education, Research evaluation, Informetrics, Altmetrics, Bibliometric and citation analysis, Measurement and Evaluation, World University Rankings, Citation Analysis, Transformation of University Systems, Webometrics, Science Policy, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Higher Education Policy, Research Policy, Evaluation, science and technology studies (STS), Open Access, Metrics, and Science and Technology Policy(Library Science, Library and Information Science, Academic Libraries, Evaluation Research, Higher Education, Research evaluation, Informetrics, Altmetrics, Bibliometric and citation analysis, Measurement and Evaluation, World University Rankings, Citation Analysis, Transformation of University Systems, Webometrics, Science Policy, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Higher Education Policy, Research Policy, Evaluation, science and technology studies (STS), Open Access, Metrics, and Science and Technology Policy)edit
- My research is situated in the intersection between information science and sociology of science, with the organizati... moreMy research is situated in the intersection between information science and sociology of science, with the organization and communication of knowledge in focus. Bibliometrics—quantitative analysis of publications and their characteristics—was the main topic of my thesis, but my research interests span a wider spectrum. My academic interests can be divided into three main topics: scholarly communication, organization of research and the governance of science. These three areas are interrelated and all can be studied using bibliometric methods, but there are also key differences in perspectives and theories used.
Scholarly communication and changing research practices
My interest in scholarly communication is motivated by rapid changes in the dissemination of academic research that is currently taking place. The switch from print to digital, the establishment of new dissemination channels (blogs, twitter, enhanced publications) and the growing demand for open access to scholarly publications are some of the changes that affect the infrastructure of research. In particular I find it interesting to study how these developments affect the researchers involved and how research practices of specific fields change.
The organization of research fields
I am also interested in how research fields are organized and how the social and intellectual organization of research fields is reflected in communication and citation patterns. Theoretically this research draws on the categorization of research fields in terms of how work is organized. A theoretical stance that draws much from the framework developed by Richard Whitley (2000[1984]). My research in this area analyzes publication practices and patterns in specific knowledge domains based on the ‘social and intellectual’ organization of the field. An example of how this can be done is found in my PhD-thesis: Following the footnotes: A bibliometric analysis of citation patterns in literary studies.
The governance of science
The further demand for accountability in contemporary society, as described by Powers, as well as many others, is also apparent in science. My interest in this area is fueled by the current debate about how academic research should be evaluated, with bibliometrics measures being one of the options. I see the meeting between a ‘metric’ or ‘citation’ culture and traditional academic values, such as communialism, disinterestedness, organised skepticisim and universalism (Merton, 1942) as particulary interesting. The ’metric culture’ is apparent not only in major evaluation schemes, but also in university rankings, in the allocation of funds on a local basis, in the recruitment of academic personnel and in the calculation of ’impact’ for researchers (the H-index) and journals (impact factor). Thus, the measurment of impact and ’excellence’ is an intrinsic part in contemporary academia. However, the effect that the ’profusion of measures’ (has on research and researchers has been given little attention so far.(My research is situated in the intersection between information science and sociology of science, with the organization and communication of knowledge in focus. Bibliometrics—quantitative analysis of publications and their characteristics—was the main topic of my thesis, but my research interests span a wider spectrum. My academic interests can be divided into three main topics: scholarly communication, organization of research and the governance of science. These three areas are interrelated and all can be studied using bibliometric methods, but there are also key differences in perspectives and theories used. <br /> <br />Scholarly communication and changing research practices <br />My interest in scholarly communication is motivated by rapid changes in the dissemination of academic research that is currently taking place. The switch from print to digital, the establishment of new dissemination channels (blogs, twitter, enhanced publications) and the growing demand for open access to scholarly publications are some of the changes that affect the infrastructure of research. In particular I find it interesting to study how these developments affect the researchers involved and how research practices of specific fields change. <br /> <br />The organization of research fields <br />I am also interested in how research fields are organized and how the social and intellectual organization of research fields is reflected in communication and citation patterns. Theoretically this research draws on the categorization of research fields in terms of how work is organized. A theoretical stance that draws much from the framework developed by Richard Whitley (2000[1984]). My research in this area analyzes publication practices and patterns in specific knowledge domains based on the ‘social and intellectual’ organization of the field. An example of how this can be done is found in my PhD-thesis: Following the footnotes: A bibliometric analysis of citation patterns in literary studies. <br /> <br />The governance of science <br />The further demand for accountability in contemporary society, as described by Powers, as well as many others, is also apparent in science. My interest in this area is fueled by the current debate about how academic research should be evaluated, with bibliometrics measures being one of the options. I see the meeting between a ‘metric’ or ‘citation’ culture and traditional academic values, such as communialism, disinterestedness, organised skepticisim and universalism (Merton, 1942) as particulary interesting. The ’metric culture’ is apparent not only in major evaluation schemes, but also in university rankings, in the allocation of funds on a local basis, in the recruitment of academic personnel and in the calculation of ’impact’ for researchers (the H-index) and journals (impact factor). Thus, the measurment of impact and ’excellence’ is an intrinsic part in contemporary academia. However, the effect that the ’profusion of measures’ (has on research and researchers has been given little attention so far.)edit
Discipline is commonly used to denote particular areas of knowledge, research and education. Yet, the concept is often not very well defined or even explicitly discussed when used in knowledge organization and related fields. The aim of... more
Discipline is commonly used to denote particular areas of
knowledge, research and education. Yet, the concept is often not
very well defined or even explicitly discussed when used in
knowledge organization and related fields. The aim of this article
is to encourage and facilitate further reflections on academic
disciplines, while at the same time offering insights on how this
elusive concept might be understood. An overarching argument
is that discipline should foremost be understood in relation to
institutional and organizational features and this is what
distinguishes it from related terms such as, field, domain or topic.
The paper reviews the etymology and history of the concept, it
discusses attempts to define and conceptualise disciplines and it
offers insights on how disciplines can be studied. Regardless of
our views of disciplines, either as inherently out-dated constructs
or as important features of a well-functioning academia, it is
concluded that further precision or care in explicating the
concept is needed. (also Published in Knowledge. Organization 47(2020) No.3).
knowledge, research and education. Yet, the concept is often not
very well defined or even explicitly discussed when used in
knowledge organization and related fields. The aim of this article
is to encourage and facilitate further reflections on academic
disciplines, while at the same time offering insights on how this
elusive concept might be understood. An overarching argument
is that discipline should foremost be understood in relation to
institutional and organizational features and this is what
distinguishes it from related terms such as, field, domain or topic.
The paper reviews the etymology and history of the concept, it
discusses attempts to define and conceptualise disciplines and it
offers insights on how disciplines can be studied. Regardless of
our views of disciplines, either as inherently out-dated constructs
or as important features of a well-functioning academia, it is
concluded that further precision or care in explicating the
concept is needed. (also Published in Knowledge. Organization 47(2020) No.3).
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This paper builds on emerging concerns with how temporality and spatiality unfold in, and order, academic evaluation practices. We unpack how the notion of 'trajectory'-a simultaneously prospective and retrospective narrative device... more
This paper builds on emerging concerns with how temporality and spatiality unfold in, and order, academic evaluation practices. We unpack how the notion of 'trajectory'-a simultaneously prospective and retrospective narrative device permeating contemporary academic evaluation discourses-is mobilized within a particular evaluation site. Materials for our study are drawn from reports commissioned by Swedish universities when hiring for new professors. These texts are authored by external referees who rank and compare candidates, in this case for associate and full professorship positions in biomedicine. By using the theoretical perspective of 'narrative infrastructures' we explore how the referee reports mobilize 'trajectories' to weave together disparate bits of evidence extracted from the bylines of biomedical researchers' CVs: publication numbers, impact factors, authorship positions and 'earning power'. Our analysis finds certain resemblances across reports of what constitutes an ideal candidate's career trajectory, but none of these are completely identical. We consider how 'the trajectory' is evoked as a singularity within this genre of writing, thereby bestowing retrospectively a sense of coherence and purpose on the past performance and prospective development of careers. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of how 'trajectorism' shapes evaluation in academic biomedicine and possibly beyond, and propose suggestions for how this dominant narrative might be challenged.
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This paper highlights disadvantages of conceptual impreciseness, and advocates further attention to the labels and concepts used when classifying clusters or groups based on bibliographic data. The main focus of the analysis is on the... more
This paper highlights disadvantages of conceptual impreciseness, and advocates further attention to the labels and concepts used when classifying clusters or groups based on bibliographic data. The main focus of the analysis is on the concept of ‘discipline’ and how it is used in bibliometric research, but the implications concern a broader array of related terms.
Research Interests:
While bibliometric indicators, such as the journal impact factor, have long played an important role in many STEM disciplines it has been repeatedly shown that established bibliometric methods have limited use in the humanities. Using a... more
While bibliometric indicators, such as the journal impact factor, have long played an important role in many STEM disciplines it has been repeatedly shown that established bibliometric methods have limited use in the humanities. Using a questionnaire on metrics use and publication practices in Australia and Sweden, we tested the assumption that indicators play a minor role among humanities scholars. Our findings show that our respondents use indicators to a considerable degree, with a range of indicators and rankings being employed. The scholars use metrics as part of institutional policy, in CVs and applications, as well as for general promotion of their work. Notable in our results is that a much larger share of researchers (62%) in Australia used metrics compared to Sweden (14%). Scholar's attitudes regarding bibliometrics are mixed; many are critical of these measures, while at the same time feeling pressured to use them. One main tension described by our respondents is between intradisciplinary criteria of quality and formalized indicators, and negotiating these “orders of worth” is a challenging balancing act, especially for younger researchers.
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Purpose – The publication oeuvre of a researcher carries great value when academic careers are assessed, and being recognised as a successful candidate is usually equated with being a productive author. Yet, how publications are valued in... more
Purpose – The publication oeuvre of a researcher carries great value when academic careers are assessed, and being recognised as a successful candidate is usually equated with being a productive author. Yet, how publications are valued in the context of evaluating careers is so far an understudied topic. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach – Through a content analysis of assessment reports in three disciplines – biomedicine, economics and history – this paper analyses how externalities are used to evaluate publication oeuvres. Externalities are defined as features such as reviews and bibliometric indicators, which can be assessed without evaluating the epistemological claims made in the actual text.
Findings – All three fields emphasise similar aspects when assessing: authorship, publication prestige, temporality of research, reputation within the field and boundary keeping. Yet, how these facets of quality are evaluated, and the means through which they are assessed differs between disciplines. Moreover, research fields orient themselves according to different temporal horizons, i.e. history looks to the past and economics to the future when research is evaluated.
Research limitations/implications – The complexities involved in the process of evaluating candidates are also reflected in the findings, and while the comparative approach taken effectively highlights domain specific differences it may also hide counter-narratives, and subtle intradisciplinary discussion on quality.
Originality/value – This study offers a novel perspective on how publications are valued when assessing academic careers. Especially striking is how research across different fields is evaluated through different time horizons. This finding is significant in the debate on more overarching and formal systems ofresearch evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach – Through a content analysis of assessment reports in three disciplines – biomedicine, economics and history – this paper analyses how externalities are used to evaluate publication oeuvres. Externalities are defined as features such as reviews and bibliometric indicators, which can be assessed without evaluating the epistemological claims made in the actual text.
Findings – All three fields emphasise similar aspects when assessing: authorship, publication prestige, temporality of research, reputation within the field and boundary keeping. Yet, how these facets of quality are evaluated, and the means through which they are assessed differs between disciplines. Moreover, research fields orient themselves according to different temporal horizons, i.e. history looks to the past and economics to the future when research is evaluated.
Research limitations/implications – The complexities involved in the process of evaluating candidates are also reflected in the findings, and while the comparative approach taken effectively highlights domain specific differences it may also hide counter-narratives, and subtle intradisciplinary discussion on quality.
Originality/value – This study offers a novel perspective on how publications are valued when assessing academic careers. Especially striking is how research across different fields is evaluated through different time horizons. This finding is significant in the debate on more overarching and formal systems ofresearch evaluation.
Research Interests:
Global university rankings have become increasingly important 'calcu-lative devices' for assessing the 'quality' of higher education and research. Their ability to make characteristics of universities 'calculable' is here exemplified by... more
Global university rankings have become increasingly important 'calcu-lative devices' for assessing the 'quality' of higher education and research. Their ability to make characteristics of universities 'calculable' is here exemplified by the first proper university ranking ever, produced as early as 1910 by the American psychologist James McKeen Cattell. Our paper links the epistemological rationales behind the construction of this ranking to the sociopolitical context in which Cattell operated: an era in which psychology became institutionalized against the backdrop of the eugenics movement, and in which statistics of science became used to counter a perceived decline in 'great men.' Over time, however, the 'eminent man,' shaped foremost by heredity and upbringing, came to be replaced by the excellent university as the emblematic symbol of scientific and intellectual strength. We also show that Cattell's ranking was generative of new forms of the social, traces of which can still be found today in the enactment of 'excellence' in global university rankings.
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Bibliometric evaluation for research in the field of sciences can be a good way to assess the quality and factual basis of claims and can lead to more funding for authors and for research work. However, due to the more diverse fields... more
Bibliometric evaluation for research in the field of sciences can be a good way to assess the quality and factual basis of claims and can lead to more funding for authors and for research work. However, due to the more diverse fields covered, this type of evaluation is less effective in the world of humanities. Many professionals and researchers in humanities fields believe that bibliometric evaluation is meant only for STEM research and can’t properly assess any findings made in humanities. Four common claims made about bibliometrics in humanities are that bibliometrics do not adequately cover the non-uniform nature of humanities; greater bibliometric coverage will not solve all the research problems in humanities subjects; metrics use already has an impact on humanities research practices and finally; other evaluation methods, like altmetrics, are conventional.
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A researcher's number of publications has been a fundamental merit in the competition for academic positions since the late 18th century. Today, the simple counting of publications has been supplemented with a whole range of bibliometric... more
A researcher's number of publications has been a fundamental merit in the competition for academic positions since the late 18th century. Today, the simple counting of publications has been supplemented with a whole range of bibliometric indicators, which supposedly not only measures the volume of research but also its impact. In this study, we investigate how bibliometrics are used for evaluating the impact and quality of publications in two specific settings: biomedicine and economics. Our study exposes the various metrics used in external evaluations of candidates for academic positions at Swedish universities. Moreover, we show how different bibliometric indicators, both explicitly and implicitly, are employed to assess and rank candidates. Our findings contribute to a further understanding of bibliometric indicators as 'judgment devices' that are employed in evaluating individuals and their published works within specific fields. We also show how 'expertise' in using bibliometrics for evaluative purposes is negotiated at the interface between domain knowledge and skills in using indicators. In line with these results, we propose that the use of metrics we report is best described as a form of 'citizen bibliometrics'—an underspecified term which we build upon in the article.
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Introduction. This paper presents an exploration of how the notion of " practice " is theorized and applied in library and information studies. Method. To highlight how " practice " is conceptualized and to discern what methodological... more
Introduction. This paper presents an exploration of how the notion of " practice " is theorized and applied in library and information studies.
Method. To highlight how " practice " is conceptualized and to discern what methodological approaches are taken, a qualitative analysis was conducted of a selection of practice-oriented contributions to the library and information studies literature. A bibliometric study of publications relating to " practice theory " provided a complementary quantitative overview of the influence of " the practice turn " in library and information studies.
Analysis. Through reading a number of introductions to practice theories, a selection of prominent characteristics were identified. These characteristics provided guidance for the close-reading of the sample of practice-oriented library and information studies literature. As well as indicating direction for the qualitative analysis, the outcomes of the bibliometric study were recontexualized by the qualitative study.
Results. The practice-oriented library and information studies literature can be divided into four different areas based on disciplinary influences. Authors are highlighting different key tenets when adhering to practice theory. It is possible to identify at least four different methodological approaches to empirical studies in the discipline.
Conclusions. There is not one " practice-based approach " in library and information studies, but rather a multifaceted strand, which exhibits many different characteristics.
Method. To highlight how " practice " is conceptualized and to discern what methodological approaches are taken, a qualitative analysis was conducted of a selection of practice-oriented contributions to the library and information studies literature. A bibliometric study of publications relating to " practice theory " provided a complementary quantitative overview of the influence of " the practice turn " in library and information studies.
Analysis. Through reading a number of introductions to practice theories, a selection of prominent characteristics were identified. These characteristics provided guidance for the close-reading of the sample of practice-oriented library and information studies literature. As well as indicating direction for the qualitative analysis, the outcomes of the bibliometric study were recontexualized by the qualitative study.
Results. The practice-oriented library and information studies literature can be divided into four different areas based on disciplinary influences. Authors are highlighting different key tenets when adhering to practice theory. It is possible to identify at least four different methodological approaches to empirical studies in the discipline.
Conclusions. There is not one " practice-based approach " in library and information studies, but rather a multifaceted strand, which exhibits many different characteristics.
Research Interests:
Introduction. When using bibliometrics for research evaluation, the classification of research fields is an issue of great importance. The purpose of this paper is to outline a brief theoretical framework for analysing the role of... more
Introduction. When using bibliometrics for research evaluation, the classification of research fields is an issue of great importance. The purpose of this paper is to outline a brief theoretical framework for analysing the role of classification in research evaluation practices.
Theory. Taking departure in the concept of ‘boundary objects’ we develop a theoretical framework for analyses of how scientific publications negotiate between different social worlds. Moreover, by adding the perspective of large evaluative infrastructures our study seeks to highlight tensions between local practices and global standards.
Empirical example. One scientific article was analysed in terms of the different ways it can be classified on author and affiliation levels, on a documental level, and on a bureaucratic level.
Discussion. Publications are boundary objects residing between social worlds: the context of communication and the context of evaluation. Tensions between social worlds become apparent in infrastructures, which aims to serve the demands both of communication and of evaluation.
Theory. Taking departure in the concept of ‘boundary objects’ we develop a theoretical framework for analyses of how scientific publications negotiate between different social worlds. Moreover, by adding the perspective of large evaluative infrastructures our study seeks to highlight tensions between local practices and global standards.
Empirical example. One scientific article was analysed in terms of the different ways it can be classified on author and affiliation levels, on a documental level, and on a bureaucratic level.
Discussion. Publications are boundary objects residing between social worlds: the context of communication and the context of evaluation. Tensions between social worlds become apparent in infrastructures, which aims to serve the demands both of communication and of evaluation.
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ABSTRACT Given the increased role of bibliometric measures in research evaluation, it is striking that studies of actual changes in research practice are rare. Most studies and comments on ‘a metric culture’ in academia focus on the... more
ABSTRACT Given the increased role of bibliometric measures in research evaluation, it is striking that studies of actual changes in research practice are rare. Most studies and comments on ‘a metric culture’ in academia focus on the ideological and political level, and there is a clear shortage of empirical studies that analyze how researchers handle demands for accountability in context. In adopting a mixed-methods approach involving both bibliometric data and answers form questionnaires, we provide an in-depth study of how researchers at the faculty of Arts at Uppsala University (Sweden) respond to the implementation of performance-based research evaluation systems. Publication patterns from 2006 to 2013 show that journal publications, especially English-language ones, are increasing, and the proportion of peer-reviewed publications has doubled. These changes are inline with the incentives of the evaluation systems under study. Answers to the survey confirm that scholars are conscious about this development, and several respondents articulate a disagreement between disciplinary norms and external demands. However, disciplinary background as well as career stage or academic age appears to have a significant influence on how individual researchers react to the instigation of evaluation systems. Finally, responses to national and local evaluation regimes are complex, localized, and dependent on many factors. In-depth contextualized studies of research practices are needed in order to understand how performance-based funding systems influence academic research on the ground.
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Introduction. Our study critically engages with techniques of self-quantification in contemporary academia, by demonstrating how social networking services enact research and scholarly communication as a 'game'. Method. The empirical... more
Introduction. Our study critically engages with techniques of self-quantification in contemporary academia, by demonstrating how social networking services enact research and scholarly communication as a 'game'.
Method. The empirical part of the study involves an analysis of two leading platforms: Impactstory and ResearchGate. Observed qualities of these platforms will be analyzed in detail with concrete examples of gaming features in focus. Subsequently, we relate the development of these digital platforms to a broader 'quantified self movement'. Special attention will also be paid to how these platforms contribute to a general quantification of the academic (authorial) self.
Theory. Theoretically we relate the 'gamification' of research to neoliberal ideas about markets and competition. Our analysis then extends to long-standing and fundamental ideas about self-betterment expressed in the philosophy of Peter Sloterdijk.
Findings. Our study shows how social networking services, such as ResearchGate and Impactstory, enact researchers as 'entrepreneurs of themselves' in a marketplace of ideas, and the quantification of scholarly reputation to a single number plays an important role in this process. Moreover, the technologies that afford these types of quantifiable interactions affect the 'unfolding ontology' of algorithmic academic identities.
Conclusions. The gamification of quantified academic selves intensifies the competitive nature of scholarship, it commodifies academic outputs and it might lead to goal displacement and cheating. However, self-quantification might also serve as a liberating and empowering activity for the individual researcher as alternative measures of impact and productivity are provided by these platforms.
Method. The empirical part of the study involves an analysis of two leading platforms: Impactstory and ResearchGate. Observed qualities of these platforms will be analyzed in detail with concrete examples of gaming features in focus. Subsequently, we relate the development of these digital platforms to a broader 'quantified self movement'. Special attention will also be paid to how these platforms contribute to a general quantification of the academic (authorial) self.
Theory. Theoretically we relate the 'gamification' of research to neoliberal ideas about markets and competition. Our analysis then extends to long-standing and fundamental ideas about self-betterment expressed in the philosophy of Peter Sloterdijk.
Findings. Our study shows how social networking services, such as ResearchGate and Impactstory, enact researchers as 'entrepreneurs of themselves' in a marketplace of ideas, and the quantification of scholarly reputation to a single number plays an important role in this process. Moreover, the technologies that afford these types of quantifiable interactions affect the 'unfolding ontology' of algorithmic academic identities.
Conclusions. The gamification of quantified academic selves intensifies the competitive nature of scholarship, it commodifies academic outputs and it might lead to goal displacement and cheating. However, self-quantification might also serve as a liberating and empowering activity for the individual researcher as alternative measures of impact and productivity are provided by these platforms.
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In this chapter, the possibility of using bibliometric measures for evaluating research in the humanities is pondered. A review of recent attempts to develop bibliometric methods for studying the humanities shows that organizational,... more
In this chapter, the possibility of using bibliometric measures for evaluating research in the humanities is pondered. A review of recent attempts to develop bibliometric methods for studying the humanities shows that organizational, epistemological differences as well as distinct research practices in research fields ought to be considered. The dependence on colleagues, interdisciplinarity and the 'rural' nature of research in many humanistic disciplines are identified as factors that influence the possibilities of applying bibliometric methods. A few particularly promising approaches are highlighted, and the possibility of developing a 'biblio-metrics for the humanities' is examined. Finally, the intellectual characteristics of specific disciplines should be considered when quality indicators are constructed, and the importance of including scholars from the humanities in the process is stressed.
Research Interests:
The use of bibliometric indicators on individual and national levels has gathered considerable interest in recent years, but the application of bibliometric models for allocating resources at the institutional level has so far gathered... more
The use of bibliometric indicators on individual and national levels has gathered considerable interest
in recent years, but the application of bibliometric models for allocating resources at the institutional
level has so far gathered less attention. This article studies the implementation of bibliometric measures
for allocating resources at Swedish universities. Several models and indicators based on publications,
citations, and research grants are identified. The design of performance-based resource allocation
across major universities is then analysed using a framework from the field of evaluation
studies. The practical implementation, the incentives as well as the ‘ethics’ of models and indicators,
are scrutinized in order to provide a theoretically informed assessment of evaluation systems. It is
evident that the requirements, goals, possible consequences, and the costs of evaluation are scarcely
discussed before these systems are implemented. We find that allocation models are implemented
in response to a general trend of assessment across all types of activities and organizations, but the
actual design of evaluation systems is dependent on size, orientation, and the overall organization of
the institution in question.
in recent years, but the application of bibliometric models for allocating resources at the institutional
level has so far gathered less attention. This article studies the implementation of bibliometric measures
for allocating resources at Swedish universities. Several models and indicators based on publications,
citations, and research grants are identified. The design of performance-based resource allocation
across major universities is then analysed using a framework from the field of evaluation
studies. The practical implementation, the incentives as well as the ‘ethics’ of models and indicators,
are scrutinized in order to provide a theoretically informed assessment of evaluation systems. It is
evident that the requirements, goals, possible consequences, and the costs of evaluation are scarcely
discussed before these systems are implemented. We find that allocation models are implemented
in response to a general trend of assessment across all types of activities and organizations, but the
actual design of evaluation systems is dependent on size, orientation, and the overall organization of
the institution in question.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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What is a scientific author? Today this question seems more urgent than ever, protruding into heated debates on social, epistemic, commercial, and ethical aspects of contemporary science. In February 2015 a workshop was held in Leiden,... more
What is a scientific author? Today this question seems more urgent than ever, protruding into heated debates on social, epistemic, commercial, and ethical aspects of contemporary science. In February 2015 a workshop was held in Leiden, the Netherlands, bringing together participants from the worlds of academia, publishing, think tanks, research information systems, science policy, and activism, each with their own take and commitments on this important topic. The Authorship in Transition workshop was hosted by the Lorentz Center in Leiden, which formed an innovative backdrop in which a more bottom-up workshop format could thrive. Below we summarise some of the outcomes of the week, which we hope will inspire new collaborative ventures into the topic going forward.
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The prospects of altmetrics are especially encouraging for research fields in the humanities that currently are difficult to study using established bibliometric methods. Yet, little is known about the altmetric impact of research fields... more
The prospects of altmetrics are especially encouraging for research fields in the humanities that currently are difficult to study using established bibliometric methods. Yet, little is known about the altmetric impact of research fields in the humanities. Consequently, this paper analyses the altmetric coverage and impact of humanities-oriented articles and books published by Swedish universities during 2012. Some of the most common altmetric sources are examined using a sample of 310 journal articles and 54 books. Mendeley has the highest coverage of journal articles (61 %) followed by Twitter (21 %) while very few of the publications are mentioned in blogs or on Facebook. Books, on the other hand, are quite often tweeted while both Mendeley’s and the novel data source Library Thing’s coverage is low. Many of the problems of applying bibliometrics to the humanities are also relevant for altmetric approaches; the importance of non-journal publications, the reliance on print as well the limited coverage of non-English language publications. However, the continuing development and diversification of methods suggests that altmetrics could evolve into a valuable tool for assessing research in the humanities.
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The advantages of altmetrics—the diversity of dissemination channels analysed, the speed of getting data, the openness of methods, and the ability to measure impact beyond the ‘scholarly realm’—could be seen as especially promising for... more
The advantages of altmetrics—the diversity of dissemination channels analysed, the speed of getting data, the openness of methods, and the ability to measure impact beyond the ‘scholarly realm’—could be seen as especially promising for fields that currently are difficult to study using established bibliometric methods and data sources. This paper reviews the benefits of using altmetric methods to analyse the impact of research in the humanities and tests some of the most common altmetric tools on a small sample of publications and authors. The findings indicate that many of the problems identified in research on the use of bibliometrics on the humanities are also relevant for altmetric approaches. The importance of non-journal publications, the reliance on print as well the limited availability of open access publishers are characteristics that hinder altmetric analysis. However, this study provides only a few examples and further studies are needed in order to examine the possibilities that altmetric methods offer.
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"This thesis provides an in-depth study of the possibilities of applying bibliometric methods to the research field of literary studies. The four articles that constitute the backbone of this thesis focus on different aspects of... more
"This thesis provides an in-depth study of the possibilities of applying bibliometric methods to the research field of literary studies. The four articles that constitute the backbone of this thesis focus on different aspects of references and citations in literary studies: from the use of references in the text to citation patterns among 34 literature journals. The analysis covers both an Anglo-Saxon context as well as research in Swedish literary studies, and the materials used include Web of Science data, references in the Swedish literature journal TFL (Tidskrift för Litteraturvetenskap) and applications to the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). A study is also made of the influence of one single publication—Walter Benjamin’s Illumina- tions—and its impact in literary studies and in wider academia.
The results from the four articles are elaborated upon using a theoretical framework that focuses on differences in the social and intellectual organization of research fields. According to these theories literary studies can be described as a fragmented, heterogenic, interdiscipli- nary and ‘rural’ field with a diverse audience. The fragmented and rural organization of the field is reflected in low citation frequencies as well as in the difficulties in discerning research specialities in co-citation mappings, while the analysis of the intellectual base (highly cited authors) is an example of the heterogenic and interdisciplinary character of the field, as it includes authors from many fields across the humanities and the social sciences.
The thesis emphasizes that bibliometric studies of research fields in the humanities need to incorporate non-English and non-journal publications in order to produce valid and fair re- sults. Moreover, bibliometric methods must be modified in accordance with the organization of research in a particular field, and differences in referencing practices and citation patterns ought to be considered. Consequently, it is advised that bibliometric measures for evaluating research in these fields should, if used at all, be applied with great caution.
Keywords: Bibliometrics, citation analysis, scholarly communication, research practices, literary studies, the humanities, visualization"
The results from the four articles are elaborated upon using a theoretical framework that focuses on differences in the social and intellectual organization of research fields. According to these theories literary studies can be described as a fragmented, heterogenic, interdiscipli- nary and ‘rural’ field with a diverse audience. The fragmented and rural organization of the field is reflected in low citation frequencies as well as in the difficulties in discerning research specialities in co-citation mappings, while the analysis of the intellectual base (highly cited authors) is an example of the heterogenic and interdisciplinary character of the field, as it includes authors from many fields across the humanities and the social sciences.
The thesis emphasizes that bibliometric studies of research fields in the humanities need to incorporate non-English and non-journal publications in order to produce valid and fair re- sults. Moreover, bibliometric methods must be modified in accordance with the organization of research in a particular field, and differences in referencing practices and citation patterns ought to be considered. Consequently, it is advised that bibliometric measures for evaluating research in these fields should, if used at all, be applied with great caution.
Keywords: Bibliometrics, citation analysis, scholarly communication, research practices, literary studies, the humanities, visualization"
Research Interests:
Purpose - The aim of this article is to study a locally oriented and book-based research field using two Swedish-language sources. Knowledge about citation patterns outside journal based, English-language databases is scarce; thus a... more
Purpose - The aim of this article is to study a locally oriented and book-based research field using two Swedish-language sources. Knowledge about citation patterns outside journal based, English-language databases is scarce; thus a substantial part of research in the humanities and the social sciences is neglected in bibliometric studies.
Design/methodology/approach - Citation characteristics (publication type, language, gender and age) in the journal Tidskrift för Litteraturvetenskap (2000-2009) and in grant applications (2006-2009) are studied. The datasets are analyzed further, adopting an author-co-citation approach for depicting and comparing the ‘intellectual base’ of the field.
Findings - It is shown that monographs and anthologies are the main publication channel in Swedish literary research. English, followed by Swedish, is the major language, and the gender of authors seems to influence citation practices. Furthermore, a common intellectual base of literary studies that is independent of publication type and language could be identified.
Research limitations/implications -
Practical implications - Bibliometric analysis of fields within the humanities needs to go beyond established databases and materials. The extensive use of recent English-language monographs in Swedish literary studies informs the acquisition policy of university libraries serving literature scholars.
Originality/value - Citation analysis of non-English sources offers further knowledge about scholarly fields with a local and ‘rural’ profile. The approach of using references in grant applications provides a novel and promising venue for bibliometric research.
Design/methodology/approach - Citation characteristics (publication type, language, gender and age) in the journal Tidskrift för Litteraturvetenskap (2000-2009) and in grant applications (2006-2009) are studied. The datasets are analyzed further, adopting an author-co-citation approach for depicting and comparing the ‘intellectual base’ of the field.
Findings - It is shown that monographs and anthologies are the main publication channel in Swedish literary research. English, followed by Swedish, is the major language, and the gender of authors seems to influence citation practices. Furthermore, a common intellectual base of literary studies that is independent of publication type and language could be identified.
Research limitations/implications -
Practical implications - Bibliometric analysis of fields within the humanities needs to go beyond established databases and materials. The extensive use of recent English-language monographs in Swedish literary studies informs the acquisition policy of university libraries serving literature scholars.
Originality/value - Citation analysis of non-English sources offers further knowledge about scholarly fields with a local and ‘rural’ profile. The approach of using references in grant applications provides a novel and promising venue for bibliometric research.
Research Interests:
This article employs citation analysis on a micro level— the level of the cited document; in this case, Walter Benjamin’s Illuminations (1968/2007). The study shows how this frequently cited publication—more than 4,000 citations in Web of... more
This article employs citation analysis on a micro level— the level of the cited document; in this case, Walter Benjamin’s Illuminations (1968/2007). The study shows how this frequently cited publication—more than 4,000 citations in Web of Science—has been received. The growth of citations and interdisciplinary citing is studied, and a novel approach—page citation analysis—is applied to study how different parts of Illuminations have been cited.The article demonstrates how bibliometric methods can be used together with qualitative accounts to map the impact and dissemination of a particular publication. Furthermore, it shows how bibliometric methods can be utilized to study intellectual structures in the humani- ties, and highlights the influence of the humanities on the social sciences and sciences.
Research Interests:
"This paper studies the production of dissertations in eight research fields in the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. In using doctoral dissertations it builds on De Solla Prices seminal study which used PhD... more
"This paper studies the production of dissertations in eight research fields in the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. In using doctoral dissertations it builds on De Solla Prices seminal study which used PhD dissertations as one of several indicators of scientific growth (Price, Little science, big science, 1963). Data from the ProQuest: Dissertations and Theses database covering the years 1950–2007 are used to depict historical trends, and the Gompertz function was used for analysing the data. A
decline in the growth of dissertations can be seen in all fields in the mid-eighties and several fields show only a modest growth during the entire period. The growth profiles of specific disciplines could not be explained by traditional dichotomies such as pure/applied or soft/hard, but rather it seems that the age of the discipline appears to be an important factor. Thus, it is obvious that the growth of dissertations must be explained using several factors emerging both inside and outside academia. Consequently, we propose that the output of dissertations can be used as an indicator of growth, especially in fields like the humanities, where journal or article counts are less applicable."
decline in the growth of dissertations can be seen in all fields in the mid-eighties and several fields show only a modest growth during the entire period. The growth profiles of specific disciplines could not be explained by traditional dichotomies such as pure/applied or soft/hard, but rather it seems that the age of the discipline appears to be an important factor. Thus, it is obvious that the growth of dissertations must be explained using several factors emerging both inside and outside academia. Consequently, we propose that the output of dissertations can be used as an indicator of growth, especially in fields like the humanities, where journal or article counts are less applicable."
Research Interests:
This article employs citation analysis on a micro level—the level of the cited document; in this case, Walter Benjamin's Illuminations (1968/2007). The study shows how this frequently cited publication—more than 4,000 citations in Web of... more
This article employs citation analysis on a micro level—the level of the cited document; in this case, Walter Benjamin's Illuminations (1968/2007). The study shows how this frequently cited publication—more than 4,000 citations in Web of Science—has been received. The growth of citations and interdisciplinary citing is studied, and a novel approach—page citation analysis—is applied to study how different parts of Illuminations have been cited. The article demonstrates how bibliometric methods can be used together with qualitative accounts to map the impact and dissemination of a particular publication. Furthermore, it shows how bibliometric methods can be utilized to study intellectual structures in the humanities, and highlights the influence of the humanities on the social sciences and sciences.
Research Interests:
Using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) 2008, we apply mapping techniques previously developed for mapping journal structures in the Science and Social Sciences Citation Indices. Citation relations among the 110,718 records... more
Using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) 2008, we apply mapping techniques previously developed for mapping journal structures in the Science and Social Sciences Citation Indices. Citation relations among the 110,718 records were aggregated at the level of 1,157 journals specific to the A&HCI, and the journal structures are questioned on whether a cognitive structure can be reconstructed and visualized. Both cosine-normalization (bottom up) and factor analysis (top down) suggest a divi- sion into approximately 12 subsets. The relations among these subsets are explored using various visualization techniques. However, we were not able to retrieve this structure using the Institute for Scientific Information Subject Categories, including the 25 categories that are specific to the A&HCI. We discuss options for validation such as against the categories of the Humanities Indi- cators of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the panel structure of the European Reference Index for the Humanities, and compare our results with the cur- riculum organization of the Humanities Section of the College of Letters and Sciences of the University of Cal- ifornia at Los Angeles as an example of institutional organization.
Research Interests:
This article studies interdisciplinarity and the intellectual base of 34 literature journals using citation data from Web of Science. Data from two time periods, 1978–1987 and 1998–2007 were compared to reveal changes in the... more
This article studies interdisciplinarity and the intellectual base of 34 literature journals using citation data from Web of Science. Data from two time periods, 1978–1987 and 1998–2007 were compared to reveal changes in the interdisciplinary citing of monographs. The study extends the analysis to non-source publications; using the classification of monographs to show changes in the intellectual base. There is support for increased interdisciplinary citing of sources, especially to the social sciences, and changes in the intellectual base reflect this. The results are explained using theories on the intellectual and social organization of scientific fields and the use of bibliometric methods on the humanities is discussed. The article demonstrates how citation analysis can provide insights into the communication patterns and intellectual structure of scholarly fields in the arts and humanities.
Research Interests:
This article studies citation practices in the arts and humanities from a theoretical and conceptual viewpoint, drawing on studies from fields like linguistics, history, library & information science, and the sociology of science. The use... more
This article studies citation practices in the arts and humanities from a theoretical and conceptual viewpoint, drawing on studies from fields like linguistics, history, library & information science, and the sociology of science. The use of references in the humanities is discussed in connection with the growing interest in the possibilities of applying citation analysis to humanistic disciplines. The study shows how the use of references within the humanities is connected to concepts of originality, to intellectual organization, and to searching and writing. Finally, it is acknowledged that the use of references is connected to stylistic, epistemological, and organizational differences, and these differences must be taken into account when applying citation analysis to humanistic disciplines.
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This article discusses some of the problems, both on a practical and theoretical level, that occur when bibliometric methods are applied on the humanities. It also focuses on the possibilities that bibliometric methods offer, and these... more
This article discusses some of the problems, both on a practical and theoretical level, that occur when bibliometric methods are applied on the humanities. It also focuses on the possibilities that bibliometric methods offer, and these are exemplified through an analysis of research in comparative literature. Finally some reflections on the efforts to evaluate humanistic research with bibliometric methods are given.
Research Interests:
This project concerns the governance of science with an emphasis on how research is made auditable through the use of quantitative techniques; especially bibliometrics. The project investigates how a ´metric culture´ affects the... more
This project concerns the governance of science with an emphasis on how research is made auditable through the use of quantitative techniques; especially bibliometrics.
The project investigates how a ´metric culture´ affects the research practices of the individual scholar, and it examines the consequences that bibliometric rankings have on the role and purpose of the university. Publication patterns as well as questionnaires will be used in order to examine how bibliometric evaluation influences the practices of scholars. Studies will also be made of university rankings and their use in promoting the ‘excellent’ university. My focus on the actual materialities of measurement distinguishes the project from previous accounts of changes in the governance of science. In tying the practice, the institutional and the political level together my project aims to provide a unique perspective on the emergence of a ‘metrics culture´ in academia. Using a theoretical stance in theories about the ´audit´ and ´risk´ society it promises to take the analysis beyond discussions about different models of evaluating, or indicators of impact, and to place it in a larger context of social and organizational change. This broader perspective is required in order to understand the co-evolution of governance systems and techniques of measurement; a perspective where ‘metrics’ is not only a symptom but also a practice that in itself contributes to these developments.
The project is financed by VR (international postdoc) and research will be conduced in close cooperation with researchers at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, CWTS, Leiden University. In particular I will work with the members of the “Evaluation practices in contect” (EPIC-group) lead by Sarah de Rijcke.
The project investigates how a ´metric culture´ affects the research practices of the individual scholar, and it examines the consequences that bibliometric rankings have on the role and purpose of the university. Publication patterns as well as questionnaires will be used in order to examine how bibliometric evaluation influences the practices of scholars. Studies will also be made of university rankings and their use in promoting the ‘excellent’ university. My focus on the actual materialities of measurement distinguishes the project from previous accounts of changes in the governance of science. In tying the practice, the institutional and the political level together my project aims to provide a unique perspective on the emergence of a ‘metrics culture´ in academia. Using a theoretical stance in theories about the ´audit´ and ´risk´ society it promises to take the analysis beyond discussions about different models of evaluating, or indicators of impact, and to place it in a larger context of social and organizational change. This broader perspective is required in order to understand the co-evolution of governance systems and techniques of measurement; a perspective where ‘metrics’ is not only a symptom but also a practice that in itself contributes to these developments.
The project is financed by VR (international postdoc) and research will be conduced in close cooperation with researchers at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, CWTS, Leiden University. In particular I will work with the members of the “Evaluation practices in contect” (EPIC-group) lead by Sarah de Rijcke.
Studien ämnar undersöka den bibliometriska verksamheten vid Sveriges högskolor och universitet. Först och främst kommer användandet av bibliometri att kartläggas: det kan röra sig om system för att fördela forskningsmedel, eller... more
Studien ämnar undersöka den bibliometriska verksamheten vid Sveriges högskolor och universitet. Först och främst kommer användandet av bibliometri att kartläggas: det kan röra sig om system för att fördela forskningsmedel, eller bibliometrins användning i rapporter som syftar till att göra övergripande strategiska bedömningar. Alla dokument kring dessa verksamheter kommer samlas in och analyseras, vidare kommer strukturerade intervjuer med ansvariga för den bibliometriska funktionen att genomföras. Analysen syftar till en kvalitativ förståelse av hur dessa verksamheter motiveras, hur nyckelbegrepp såsom ’kvalité’ och ’excellens’ definieras, samt hur man rent praktiskt utformar indikatorer och utvärderingssystem. (Finansierat av Svea Bredals fond 2014)
The numbers of scholarly publications and their accumulated bulk have risen substantially in the recent times. Whereas a literature review in a near past would have involved reading and analysing a few hundred articles, today such an... more
The numbers of scholarly publications and their accumulated bulk have risen substantially in the recent times. Whereas a literature review in a near past would have involved reading and analysing a few hundred articles, today such an endeavour becomes a challenge when the relevant publications extent to thousands, or tens of thousands of items.
Thus, the production of scholarly literature reviews or overviews of research fields has become a major challenge particularly in multidisciplinary fields where publications from many different areas may be of interest. The traditional bibliometric method of assessing centrality of either the publications or the authors by means of traditional citation analyses have been shown to be problematic. Multiplicity of publication outlets, including a flourishing of open access journals and depositories not included in citation indexes, complicate the situation further.
It is not always possible to identify the most relevant sources of information that should be observed. The labour intensive evaluation of document and source relevance by individual researchers is no longer adequate. To address these challenges we have witnessed the arrival of various data-mining, content analysis, and visualization tools which can be used in algorithmic analysis and visualization of bibliographic data. Nevertheless, problems remain. Consequently, this project identifies a need for a thorough assessment of current approaches as well as the development of new improved methods and tools that can be of service to researchers. (Financed by Västra Götalands regionen and University of Borås)
Thus, the production of scholarly literature reviews or overviews of research fields has become a major challenge particularly in multidisciplinary fields where publications from many different areas may be of interest. The traditional bibliometric method of assessing centrality of either the publications or the authors by means of traditional citation analyses have been shown to be problematic. Multiplicity of publication outlets, including a flourishing of open access journals and depositories not included in citation indexes, complicate the situation further.
It is not always possible to identify the most relevant sources of information that should be observed. The labour intensive evaluation of document and source relevance by individual researchers is no longer adequate. To address these challenges we have witnessed the arrival of various data-mining, content analysis, and visualization tools which can be used in algorithmic analysis and visualization of bibliographic data. Nevertheless, problems remain. Consequently, this project identifies a need for a thorough assessment of current approaches as well as the development of new improved methods and tools that can be of service to researchers. (Financed by Västra Götalands regionen and University of Borås)
The use of bibliometric indicators on the individual and national level has gathered considerable interest in recent years, but the application of bibliometric models for allocating resources at the institutional level has so far been... more
The use of bibliometric indicators on the individual and national level has gathered considerable interest in recent years, but the application of bibliometric models for allocating resources at the institutional level has so far been less studied. This paper focuses on the implementation of bibliometric measures for allotting resources at Swedish universities. Several models and indicators based on publications, citations and research grants are identified. Thereafter the design of performance based resource allocation at major universities is analyzed using a framework from the field of evaluation studies. The practical implementation, the given incentives and the possible consequences of models and indicators are scrutinized in order to provide a theoretically informed assessment of evaluation systems. It is evident that the need for evaluation but also its goals, possible consequences and costs are little discussed before these systems are implemented. Furthermore, it appears that allocation models are enforced as an effect of a general trend of a demand for evaluation across many types of activities and organizations rather than as a response to the actual needs of the university in question.
Research Interests:
This study investigates how the practices of the individual scholar change when research is evaluated by the use of bibliometric measures. The measurement of impact and excellence is an intrinsic part in contemporary academia, and there... more
This study investigates how the practices of the individual scholar change when research is evaluated by the use of bibliometric measures. The measurement of impact and excellence is an intrinsic part in contemporary academia, and there is an ever-increasing availability of metric data (Van Noorden, 2010). How the emergence of ‘quantified control’ has affected the work of scholars has so far been much theorized, but actual studies of changes in practice are few. This study involves a questionnaire answered by humanist scholars at Uppsala University, (Sweden). The preliminary results show great variance—depending on experience and disciplinary origin— in how researchers view changes in research practices. A few scholars are positive to a further focus on international publication, while others regard bibliometric evaluation as a threat to the progress of their field. It is also noteworthy that a majority points to rapid transformations in publication practices, although bibliometric research shows that this change is modest in many fields. The findings from the survey are discussed in relation to developments in the work conditions and role of the individual researcher. Among the developments seen as important are the shift from science as a vocation to an occupation among others (Shapin, 2008), and a perceived loss of professional status of the researcher (Hasselberg, 2012).
Research Interests:
This paper analyzes research on the topic of bibliometrics and the humanities in order to depict the developments in this area in recent years. The study shows that previous studies emphasize issues such as the coverage of databases, the... more
This paper analyzes research on the topic of bibliometrics and the humanities in order to depict the developments in this area in recent years. The study shows that previous studies emphasize issues such as the coverage of databases, the heterogenic audience of the humanities and the general purpose of
scholarship in these fields. Several solutions for amending available methods and improving current databases have been proposed by researchers, but there is still considerable debate concerning if and how bibliometrics can be applied to disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. This paper discusses
different possibilities of developing a ‘bibliometrics for the humanities’. In connection to this it considers the implications that recent changes in scholarly communication—such as digital publishing, evaluation schemes and open access—might have for the use of bibliometric methods. The paper concludes with
some reflections on what might lie in the future of the growing bibliometric research that is directed towards the humanities.
scholarship in these fields. Several solutions for amending available methods and improving current databases have been proposed by researchers, but there is still considerable debate concerning if and how bibliometrics can be applied to disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. This paper discusses
different possibilities of developing a ‘bibliometrics for the humanities’. In connection to this it considers the implications that recent changes in scholarly communication—such as digital publishing, evaluation schemes and open access—might have for the use of bibliometric methods. The paper concludes with
some reflections on what might lie in the future of the growing bibliometric research that is directed towards the humanities.
Research Interests:
My research emphasizes that bibliometric studies of research fields in the humanities need to incorporate non-English and non-journal publications in order to produce valid and fair results. Moreover, bibliometric methods must be modified... more
My research emphasizes that bibliometric studies of research fields in the humanities need to incorporate non-English and non-journal publications in order to produce valid and fair results. Moreover, bibliometric methods must be modified in accordance with the organization of research in a particular field, and differences in referencing practices and citation patterns ought to be considered. The fragmented and rural organization of literary studies is reflected in low citation frequencies while the analysis of the intellectual base (highly cited authors) is an example of the heterogenic and interdisciplinary character of the field, as it includes authors from many fields across the humanities and the social sciences. Consequently, it is advised that bibliometric measures for evaluating research in these fields should, if used at all, be applied with great caution.
Research Interests:
The number of publications has been a fundamental merit in the competition for academic positions since the late 18 th century. Today, the simple counting of publications has been supplemented with a whole range of bibliometric measures,... more
The number of publications has been a fundamental merit in the competition for academic positions since the late 18 th century. Today, the simple counting of publications has been supplemented with a whole range of bibliometric measures, which supposedly not only measures the volume of research but also its impact. In this study, we investigate how bibliometrics are used for evaluating the impact and quality of publications in two specific settings: biomedicine and economics. Our study exposes the extent and type of metrics used in external evaluations of candidates for academic positions at Swedish universities. Moreover, we show how different bibliometric indicators, both explicitly and implicitly, are employed to value and rank candidates. Our findings contribute to a further understanding of bibliometric indicators as 'judgment devices' that are employed in evaluating individuals and their published works within specific fields. We also show how 'expertise' in using bibliometrics for evaluative purposes is negotiated at the interface between domain knowledge and skills in using indicators. In line with these results we propose that the use of metrics in this context is best described as a form of 'citizen bibliometrics' – an underspecified term which we build upon in the paper.
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Det var i en tid präglad av rasbiologiskt tankegods som idén att med mätbara metoder jämföra de främsta vetenskapsmännen och-lärosätena först växte fram. Dagens universitetsrankningar har andra motiv men tycks näras av likartade... more
Det var i en tid präglad av rasbiologiskt tankegods som idén att med mätbara metoder jämföra de främsta vetenskapsmännen och-lärosätena först växte fram. Dagens universitetsrankningar har andra motiv men tycks näras av likartade föreställningar om förfall. Den första universitetsrankningen, utförd av James Mc Keen Cattell, presenterad i New York Times 20/11 1910. När Shanghai Jiao Tong-universitet i juni 2003 publicerade den första världsomspännande rankningen av universitet markerade det starten för en boom för universitetsrankningar av alla de slag. Rankningarnas popularitet kan förklaras på flera sätt – ett större fokus på kunskap som en förutsättning för ekonomisk tillväxt, en tilltagande globalisering av högre utbildning samt synen på studenten som en kund utgör några viktiga faktorer. Vi kan idag också iaktta en generell samhällelig trend där mätningar tillmäts allt större betydelse. Det tydligaste exemplet under senare år är Pisa-mätningarna och det inflytande dessa har haft i debatten kring skolan. På liknande vis kan konstateras att de globala universitetsrankningarna inte bara blir fler till antalet utan även tas på allt större allvar: allt från strategier på lokal nivå till nationell forskningspolitik styrs i tilltagande grad av dessa försök att mäta universitetens kvalitet, vilket bland annat beskrivits av Ellen Hazelkorn i boken " Ranknings and the re shaping of higher education " (2011). Mätandet av vetenskaplig kvalitet har dock en historia som sträcker sig längre än till 2000-talets början. Den första rankningen av universitet publicerades av den amerikanska psykologen James Mc-Keen Cattell redan 1910. Den lista över vetenskaplig styrka som Cattell presenterade omfattande bara amerikanska universitet (då liksom idag rankades Harvard högst). Cattell använde sig av en egenhändigt sammanställd förteckning över vetenskapsmän betitlad " American men of science ". Baserat på denna lista bad Cattell sedan representanter för enskilda discipliner att ranka sina kollegor utifrån deras vetenskapliga meriter, och utifrån denna rankning fördelades sedan poäng till enskilda läro säten. En lista över eminenta män kunde på så sätt omvandlas till en rankning av universitet. Ursprunget till denna första universitetsrankning kan i sin tur spåras tillbaka till det sena 1800-talets intresse för framstående män, ett intresse som göddes av rädslan för civilisationens förfall i samband med massans och massmänniskans framfart. I Storbritannien, där frågan diskuterades intensivt, menade många att nationen var beroende av sina stora män: det ansågs avgörande för det brittiska imperiets överlevnad att studera dessa män, och om möjligt Under strecket
Teknikutveckling, publiceringshets och excellenssträvanden har bidragit till ett ökat tempo i den akademiska världen, som hos många skapar en känsla av att aldrig räcka till. Nu tycks en reaktion vara på väg, men en del av... more
Teknikutveckling, publiceringshets och excellenssträvanden har bidragit till ett ökat tempo i den akademiska världen, som hos många skapar en känsla av att aldrig räcka till. Nu tycks en reaktion vara på väg, men en del av åtgärdsförslagen är förbehållna en elit och det är inte troligt att beslutsfattare och omvärlden i stort accepterar en temposänkning. We do need time to think. We do need time to digest. We do need time to misunderstand each other, especially when fostering lost dialogue between humanities and natural sciences. We cannot continuously tell you what our science means; what it will be good for; because we simply don't know yet. Science needs time. – The slow science manifesto (2010). Reaktionerna på ett alltför uppskruvat tempo i både arbetsliv och vardag tar sig många uttryck. Populärvetenskapliga böcker som Owe Wikströms Långsamhetens lov (2009) och Daniel Kahnemans Tänka, snabbt och långsamt (2012) betonar eftertankens betydelse för kunskapsbildning. Välbefinnande och ett ökat intresse för surdegsbakning, långkok och ölbryggning låter ana en längtan efter det omsorgsfulla och långsamma. Denna allmänna fascination inför långsamheten ackompanjeras av ett växande sociologiskt intresse för det senmoderna samhällets temporalitet, där sociologen Hartmut Rosas tes om " social acceleration " intar en central position. Ofta förstås ett ökat tempo i samhället som ett resultat av teknikutveckling med ökad produktionstakt och allt snabbare