Some Issues in Contemporary Scientometrics, Scientific Policy and the Necessity for Establishing Scientometric Subdisciplines

Andrei V. Grinev ()
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Andrei V. Grinev: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

Science Governance and Scientometrics Journal, 2023, vol. 18, issue 3, 415-449

Abstract: Introduction. The article justifies dividing scientometrics into two branches, one of which is associated with the human factor that leads to various statistical deviations, further exacerbated by the practice of accounting for scientific works in bibliometric databases. Methods. As the article focuses on analysing scientometrics as a scientific discipline with the identification of specific sub-disciplines, the main emphasis is placed on general scientific theoretical and practical methods, including the bibliographic combination of documents method. Furthermore, the self-ethnography method was partially applied. Results and Discussion. A brief critical overview of the primary scientometric indicators is provided, and their flaws, along with the deficiencies of indexing scientific works in foreign databases and the Russian Science Citation Index, are examined. The discrediting of scientometrics is also significantly aided by predictive errors in the scientific policies of governmental and administrative bodies, as illustrated by specific examples in the article. Given this, the author suggests the introduction of a subdiscipline such as scientometric political science, alongside the institutionalisation of other similar subdisciplines (like scientometric sociology, economics, geography, etc.). Conclusion. The proposal is to offset the drawbacks of the three main scientometric indicators through their elaboration and extensive use of supplementary metrics, including new ones. The conclusion drawn is that addressing the issue of co-authorship is crucial as it frequently leads to various misuses and significantly skews scientometric data. Considering the current sanctions policy, a reorganisation of the Russian Science Citation Index is suggested. Moreover, it is advised to considerably broaden the scope of scientometrics by collaborating with other sciences and introducing new interdisciplinary subdisciplines with relevant journal publications.

Keywords: Scientometrics; bibliometric database; scientometric indicator; science policy; scientometric subdiscipline (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:akt:journl:v:18:y:2023:i:3:p:415-449

DOI: 10.33873/2686-6706.2023.18-3.415-449

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