All or nothing? Debating the role of evaluative bibliometrics in the research system

Abstract

In recent times, there have been a number of high-profile, sometimes heated debates over uses (or proposed uses) of bibliometric indicators in research evaluation. This volume of proceedings, collected from a symposium held in Sweden in May 2013 by Academea Europea and Wenner-Gren Foundation, marks another intervention into this broad set of issues. The volume consists of 16 chapters, all of which, the editors claim, argue against mechanical uses of bibliometric measurement systems. A notable feature of convening debates on evaluative bibliometrics is they do not simply attract professional bibliometricians. One way or another, all disciplines have a stake in these matters, as do publishers, policymakers, and university administrators. The editors have sought a more inclusive approach, accepting papers from across these different constituents. In principle, this is a sound move: contemporary 'citation infrastructures' ( Wouters, 2014 ) straddle so many actors and sets of problems that monodisciplinary conversations seem too restrictive. Bringing such diversity to the table serves to show quite how decentered and complex the issues are at stake. As such, this volume encompasses a multitude of issues, and one senses this is only the tip of the bibliometric iceberg.