Metric Studies of Scientific Information
Code
722051376
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Formação ao Longo da Vida
Credits
10
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. To place the evolution of metric studies in the context of Information Science;
2. Understand the present system of science communication and its agents;
3. Know the fundaments, techniques and applications of metric studies;
4. Understand and critically evaluate information sources and databases available for the metric analysis of different scientific areas;
5. Carefully apply bibliometric indicators to the analysis of production, dissemination and use of scientific knowledge;
6. Follow and evaluate alternative proposals for new indicators to measure science;
7. Empower to expert analysis of national and international science policies;
8. Provide the necessary basis for planning and developing specialized information services on metric analysis of science.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Subject matter
1. Introduction
What is Science? Historical, epistemological and sociological perspective
The present system of scientific communication
2. Foundations of metric studies
The statement of Bibliometrics: evolution and their contexts
Bibliometric laws
From Bibliometrics to Webometrics
3. The bibliometric analysis
The subject areas and their information sources: documental typologies and databases
The collection and processing of data
4. Bibliometric indicators
Output indicators
Circulation and dispersion indicators
Indicators of use of information
Impact indicators
Indicators of collaboration
Indicators of relation
5. Alternative Metrics (Altmetrics)
The limits of metric studies
Proposals and evaluation of new indicators
6. Applications of metric studies
Research in Information Science: metric studies and domain analysis
Structure, assessment and policies of science
Management information services: new areas
Bibliography
ANDRES, Ana - Measuring Academic Research: How to Undertake a Bibliometric Study. Oxford: Chandos, 2009.
BORGMAN, C. L.; FURNER, J. - Scholarly communication and bibliometrics. Annual Review Of Information Science And Technology. [Em linha]. 36 (3), 2002, p. 2-72.
CRONIN, Blaise; SUGIMOTO, Cassidy R., eds. - Beyond Bibliometrics: Harnessing Multidimensional Indicators of Scholarly Impact. Cambridge: MIT, 2014.
THELWALL, Mike; VAUGHAN, Liwen; BJÖRNEBORN, Lennart - Webometrics. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology. [Em linha]. 39 (1), 2005, p. 81-135.
ZULUETA GARCÍA, María Àngeles - Bibliometría y métodos bibliométricos. In LÓPEZ YEPES, José (coord.) -Manual de Ciencias de la Documentación. Madrid: Pirámide, 2006, p. 117-136.
Teaching method
The seminar will be developed through classroom lectures, tutorials and independent student work. The classes will have a theoretical and practical nature, consisting of a first moment of theoretical exposition of themes, concepts and vocabulary specific area, followed by practical exercises, oral presentations and discussions participated by students. At the beginning of the school year, calendar of classes and practical activities of the evaluation will be set, also distributing the set of required readings essentials to different tasks proposals. The tutorials will be geared towards promoting independent learning by students, while also ensuring the custom monitoring from research work on provisional steps, to discuss the plan, the theoretical framework and improving methodological choices.
Evaluation method
The evaluation will be based on the presentation of a set of exercises weighted as follows:
- Written work of individual research (from 4000 to 5000 words), with oral presentation to the class (40%);
- Oral presentation of texts (20%) and reviews (10%) in the classroom;
- Critical analysis of a database or a bibliometric indicator, from 1000 to 1500 words (20%);
- Participation in the proposed tasks in class (10%).