Publication
Title
Measuring scientific contributions with modified fractional counting
Author
Abstract
We develop and propose a new counting method at the aggregate level for contributions to scientific publications called modified fractional counting (MFC). We show that, compared to traditional complete-normalized fractional counting, it eliminates the extreme differences in contributions over time that otherwise occur between scientists that mainly publish alone or in small groups and those that publish with large groups of co-authors. As an extra benefit we find that scientists in different areas of research turn out to have comparable average contributions to scientific articles. We test the method on scientists at Norway's largest universities and find that, at an aggregate level, it indeed supports comparability across different co-authorship practices as well as between areas of research. MFC is thereby useful whenever the research output from institutions with different research profiles are compared, as e.g., in the Leiden Ranking. Finally, as MFC is actually a family of indicators, depending on a sensitivity parameter, it can be adapted to the circumstances. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of informetrics. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 2019
ISSN
1751-1577
DOI
10.1016/J.JOI.2019.03.010
Volume/pages
13 :2 (2019) , p. 679-694
ISI
000469932800016
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 25.06.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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