2021/12/08 by Robin Haunschild, Haunschild, Robin, Angela D. Daniels +3 · 1 citation
Decision Sciences · #Digital Libraries (cs.DL) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #scientometrics and bibliometrics research
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2112.04199
openalex publication_date 2021/12/08 · openalex created_date 2022/11/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Usage of field-normalized citation scores is a bibliometric standard.\nDifferent methods for field-normalization are in use, but also the choice of\nfield-classification system determines the resulting field-normalized citation\nscores. Using Web of Science data, we calculated field-normalized citation\nscores using the same formula but different field-classification systems to\nanswer the question if the resulting scores are different or similar. Six\nfield-classification systems were used: three based on citation relations, one\non semantic similarity scores (i.e., a topical relatedness measure), one on\njournal sets, and one on intellectual classifications. Systems based on journal\nsets and intellectual classifications agree on at least the moderate level. Two\nout of the three sets based on citation relations also agree on at least the\nmoderate level. Larger differences were observed for the third data set based\non citation relations and semantic similarity scores. The main policy\nimplication is that normalized citation impact scores or rankings based on them\nshould not be compared without deeper knowledge of the classification systems\nthat were used to derive these values or rankings.\n