Bibliometrics
At the University Library, we use bibliometrics to help university and faculty leaders, researchers, and research groups gain insights into research performance. We also collaborate with the libraries within the Lund University Libraries network to support research development across the university.
Our activities
The Library’s work in bibliometrics can be divided into two parts: information and advisory services, and bibliometric analyses.
Information and advisory services
We provide information about what bibliometrics is, the types of analyses available, and how they are used for research assessment. We participate in seminars where we discuss the role of bibliometrics and the research-policy context.
We also advise researchers who want to know how to handle requirements regarding their h-index in research applications. Furthermore, we comment on external analyses of Lund University’s research and support the selection and use of tools for bibliometric analyses.
Bibliometric analyses
We carry out various types of analyses, for example publication and citation analyses used as a basis for decision-making regarding allocation of funds at the faculties.
We also perform complementary analyses in connection with external evaluations of research projects linked to Lund University. Another part of our work involves mapping research collaborations, often on behalf of research groups that are preparing evaluations or planning collaborations with other higher education institutions.
Bibliometrics in research evaluation
Bibliometrics is increasingly used to evaluate research and distribute research funding. Many international university rankings are entirely or partly based on bibliometric indicators, that is, different ways to measure scientific publication and impact.
Bibliometrics at Lund University
At Lund University, bibliometric analyses are used for example in the allocation of research funding within the Faculty of Social Sciences and the School of Economics and Management. Funders of research also often now request bibliometric measures, for instance how often a researcher’s publications have been cited, as a complement to publication lists in research funding applications.
Examples of common bibliometric measures
There are several ways to measure and compare research outputs. Some of the most common indicators include:
- Field-normalized citation indicators – show how citations to local publications compare with publications globally, taking into account research field and year. A common example is the proportion of publications among the top 10 % most cited in the world.
- Journal Impact Factor (JIF) – indicates the average number of citations to articles in a given journal.
- h-index – shows how many publications have been cited at least a certain number of times.
- An example from Norway – In Norway bibliometrics is used in the national allocation of research funding. There the number of publications is counted, and consideration is given both to the type of publication, for instance books, book chapters or journal articles, and to the status of the publisher or journal. This system is called the “Norwegian list”.
Data sources for bibliometric analyses
Bibliometric calculations can be based on several different data sources. The most used are Scopus and Web of Science, where scientific articles and their references are indexed. Through these databases one can count how often publications are cited and analyse research impact.
At Lund University we also have access to SciVal, an analysis platform built on data from Scopus. With SciVal we can perform various bibliometric analyses, for example citation analyses at the individual, group or faculty level.
LUCRIS, Lund University research information system, can be used to extract statistics about different types of publications, such as articles, books and conference contributions. Google Scholar also offers citation statistics for publications and authors. However, it is important to interpret these figures with caution, as the quality of Google Scholar’s data can vary.
Bibliometrics – more than counting publications
Bibliometrics is not only about measuring how many research outputs are published or how often they are cited. With bibliometric methods we can also understand how research is organised and how collaborations look across different research fields. By studying author addresses it is possible to map research collaborations between individuals, organisations and countries. One can also examine how authors, journals or concepts co-occur in articles and reference lists. Such analyses show how different research orientations are connected and can provide an overview of a research field, for example in a literature review.
Bibliometric methods measure different aspects of research, publications and citations. They differ in how complex they are, what data are required and how useful they are for different research areas. Data sources also vary in both content and quality. Therefore, it is important to choose the right method and the right source for each type of analysis.
Do you have questions about bibliometrics?
The University Library would be happy to assist you.
Contact
For questions about the publishing process, bibliometrics, research data, open access, please contact your faculty library or
publicera [at] lub [dot] lu [dot] se
For questions about LUCRIS, please contact:
servicedesk [at] lu [dot] se
What is bibliometrics?
Bibliometrics is a compound of the Greek word biblio (book) and metron (measurement, tool for measuring). Bibliometrics is the study of science and research with the help of mathematical and statistical methods. With a basis in publication and citation data, bibliometric indicators can help to shed light on issues of productivity, impact and influence, as well as social and intellectual structures in various areas of research.