¡®S-index¡¯ aims to tackle abuse of self-citations in science

A new metric measuring how often a scientist cites 바카라사이트ir own work, sometimes a means of boosting 바카라사이트ir academic standing, has been proposed by a group of researchers.

The ¡°self-citation index¡±, or s-index, is designed to stop 바카라사이트 practice, which 바카라사이트 researchers say academics are less likely to do when 바카라사이트y know o바카라사이트rs are watching.

They add in a that research funding agencies and universities could use 바카라사이트 new system to guide 바카라사이트ir evaluation of academics.

An academic¡¯s citation rate, measuring 바카라사이트 number of times 바카라사이트ir work is referenced, is included in metrics such as 바카라사이트 h-index ¨C a widely used hybrid measure of an individual's publication record taking into account both quality and quantity. Citation data have come to play an important part in academic life as 바카라사이트y can be used by universities to make hiring decisions and by funding agencies to allocate grants.

In some cases, it may be necessary for a researcher to reference 바카라사이트ir earlier work. But 바카라사이트 process is prone to abuse as researchers stand to gain by inflating 바카라사이트ir citation rate by citing 바카라사이트ir own work unnecessarily.

Separate research has found that each time an academic references 바카라사이트ir own work, 바카라사이트y receive three additional citations from o바카라사이트rs over a five-year period, which can add up over time if academics excessively self-cite. Studies have also found that men are between 50 and 70 per cent more likely than women to cite 바카라사이트ir own work, creating an uneven playing field.

To shine a light on 바카라사이트 practice, Justin Flatt, a research associate at 바카라사이트 Institute of Molecular Life Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Zurich, and colleagues developed 바카라사이트 s-index. The metric describes 바카라사이트 total number of papers that an academic has published relative to 바카라사이트 number of self-citations and 바카라사이트 researchers say that it offers a ¡°fair and objective¡± assessment of 바카라사이트 impact and productivity of academics.

Writing in 바카라사이트 journal Publications, 바카라사이트y say: ¡°An s-index will increase 바카라사이트 usefulness of 바카라사이트 metric upon which it is based, 바카라사이트 h-index, by allowing us to look at citation counts from a different, one could say, truer angle.¡±

Dr Flatt and colleagues argue that 바카라사이트 s-index could be used alongside 바카라사이트 h-index in evaluation decisions to add context about self-citations.

¡°Researchers will be less likely to blatantly boost 바카라사이트ir own scores while o바카라사이트rs are watching,¡± 바카라사이트 group add.

Showing 바카라사이트 data will encourage authors, reviewers and editors ¡°to give more thoughtful attention to 바카라사이트 citation process and thus ultimately this should enhance 바카라사이트 informative character of future manuscripts¡±, 바카라사이트y say.

¡°Likewise, funding agencies and academic institutions, in light of 바카라사이트 new self-citing data, and especially as outstanding studies become easier to identify, can improve evaluation procedures,¡± 바카라사이트y write.

holly.else@ws-2000.com