CiteScore: risk of copy-cat, fake and misleading metrics

Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva ()
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Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva: Independent researcher

Scientometrics, 2021, vol. 126, issue 2, No 43, 1859-1862

Abstract: Abstract The Elsevier (Scopus) CiteScore is an increasingly popular journal-based metric (JBM) that is rapidly gaining popularity over its once decades-dominant JBM, Clarivate Analytics’ Journal Impact Factor (JIF). CiteScore, which is currently assigned to over 41,000 Scopus-indexed journals or other sources, faces a risk that does not seem to have yet been discussed, namely its “hijacking” to create a copy-cat or misleading metric. The JIF is already famously suffering this phenomenon in “predatory” open access publishing, but predators in the realm of academic publishing are constantly seeking ways to expand their “prey” base, i.e., authors. The use of fake metrics, or copy-cat metrics, that give the impression of a famed JBM or other metric, like the JIF or CiteScore, are created in an attempt to lure unsuspecting academics—who might erroneously associate a metric as a “quality” parameter—to their journals. It would not be surprising to see the emergence of copy-cat CiteScore-like metrics emerging. Academics, editors and publishers need to be vigilant.

Keywords: Citations; Journal-based metric; Journal Impact Factor (JIF); Market risk; Scopus; Transparency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03791-0

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