INFORMAZIONI UNIVERSITARIE

Authors: Martin Szomszor, David Pendlebury and Gordon Rogers. Clarivate Web of science Sept 2020.
Our report encourages researchers and managers to perform deeper evaluations of research via Research Front data derived from the Web of Science and maps depicting the structure and dynamics of specialty areas. Research assessment and policymaking frequently use quantitative measures based on publication and citation data as a complement to traditional expert peer review. Most in the research community are familiar with standard indicators, such as citation counts, the Web of Science Journal Impact Factor™, or the h-index. Scores and ranks have their uses but are limited in revealing many aspects of research activity and different dimensions of contributions. Fuller, more informative types of assessment are now possible – but still rarely used.
Thanks to advances in the handling and visualization of very large datasets, it is possible to see – and visit – the leading edge of scientific and scholarly research through science mapping of the literature. Such maps typically offer 2 or 3-D landscapes of research disciplines and topics, created by the network of citations that link one publication with another and by shared terminology. Similarity among documents determines proximity in the landscape while the varying density of publications creates structures, such as 'mountains' or 'islands' of knowledge. An analyst can locate individuals, institutions, funders and journals within this landscape and evaluate organizational participation in different areas, as well as changes over time. This contributes to greater understanding of current activity including identification of key players and hot and emerging topics. (F: Executive summary)