This is a practical guide to help you find and interpret bibliometric data for research publications, using free-to-access and paid-for information sources.
See also the University of York Library 'Information for Researchers' about Citation analysis and bibliometrics, for an overview of terminology, principles and applications in the UK scholarly environment.
Responsible metrics Choose your indicators with care. Don't make inappropriate comparisons.
The University of York Policy for Research Evaluation Using Quantitative Data outlines nine "principles by which research evaluation and assessment should be conducted, ...to enable good practice and provide clarity for staff".
The University takes the position that "there are very few true ‘metrics’ of research performance - they are more accurately ‘indicators’ e.g. citations are an indicator not a measure of research esteem". This guide uses the term 'indicator' throughout.
The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) recognises the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated. As of May 2018, the University is a signatory of DORA.
The Metrics Toolkit (2018) has been developed by an international consortium of librarians and academics, to guide researchers and administrators "demonstrating and evaluating claims of research impact", by explaining "what a metric means, how it's calculated, and if it's a good match for your impact question".
Contact the Open Research team (pictured) for help with accessing and analysing bibliometric data about publications and authors.
Contact the Policy, Integrity and Performance team if you are interested in the strategic use of bibliometric data to support departmental or institution-level decision-making.
The Open Research team offer training to postgraduate researchers and staff through the Building Research and Innovation Capacity (BRIC) programme.
To book a session go to: SkillsForge - Postgraduate Researchers or LMS - Staff (login required).
Spring Term sessions:
If you need information, take a look at the:
You can also contact the team by email lib-open-research@york.ac.uk to:
Alternatively, book an Open Research Online Appointment to discuss your individual needs.