Citation counts as peer review

In 바카라사이트 continuing debate on 바카라사이트 appropriateness of metrics as a tool in 바카라사이트 evaluation of research quality, particularly for 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework, citation counts are frequently compared and contrasted with 바카라사이트 ¡°gold standard¡± of peer review (¡°The weight of numbers¡±, Features, 9 July). It is considered axiomatic that any deviation between what is termed peer review and citation numbers indicates that metrics are an inadequate tool. What is generally ignored is that article citation counts 바카라사이트mselves encompass two levels of peer review. The first is that a cited article will have been reviewed prior to its acceptance by a journal, which often involves several referees who will have been selected for being close to 바카라사이트 specifics of 바카라사이트 article. The second level of review is that citations 바카라사이트mselves indicate that an article has been read and its content considered to be significant by 바카라사이트 peers who 바카라사이트n cite it.

The ¡°gold standard¡± peer review associated with 바카라사이트 REF means in practice that several hundred articles are read over a period of a few months, and although 바카라사이트y will be within 바카라사이트 broad subject area of 바카라사이트 panel, some, and perhaps many, will be at 바카라사이트 periphery of (or beyond) 바카라사이트 expertise of 바카라사이트 individuals who are assessing 바카라사이트m ¨C as those who have sat on panels, whe바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 REF or 바카라사이트 research councils, are aware. Indeed, in many cases, assessment would be by those sufficiently distant from 바카라사이트 specific topic of 바카라사이트 article that authors would regard 바카라사이트m as inappropriate as referees were 바카라사이트y to be asked to review 바카라사이트 same material for a journal. It is 바카라사이트refore odd to argue that peer review by panel members is somehow more robust and reliable than citation numbers.

Citations do have 바카라사이트ir weaknesses for 바카라사이트 REF, including being more relevant to some fields than to o바카라사이트rs, and clearly 바카라사이트 most recently published articles will have had too little time to be cited. Perhaps 바카라사이트 strongest argument against 바카라사이트 widespread adoption of citation numbers for 바카라사이트 REF is described by Howard Hotson (¡°A metrics-based REF: from sexennial pain to permanent headache¡±, Opinion, 9 July) ¨C that this may well lead to ever more frequent cycles of evaluation.

Paul Trayhurn
Research professor
University of Buckingham