Bibliometric analyses

Bibliometrics is a field of knowledge where mathematical and statistical methods are used to study the patterns of communication and publication that emerge when information is distributed.

The University Library performs bibliometric analyses at the request of the University's management, faculties, departments and other units or centre of expertise and research. The analyses give an overview of publication patterns and research at the University of Gothenburg and make it possible to compare its research with other higher education institutions.

Monitoring academic publishing at the University of Gothenburg

In 2010, the University Library received a mission from the Vice-Chancellor to "...develop a routine for the continuous compilation of bibliometric statistics that should be available to the faculties when they produce analyses of their own" (Rektorssammanträde 2009:19). The mission is a follow-up of the external evaluation of the University's research, Research Evaluation for Development of Research (RED10).

Each year, The University Library produces a report that gives an overview of the publishing activities at the University during the last five year period. The annual reports give an overview on a departmental level.

Annual bibliometric analysis reports (in Swedish)

Comparative analyses of research areas

In addition to the annual reports, the Library also produces comparative analyses between and within subject areas, other universities, and countries.

The latest analysis A bibliometric survey of the medical technology litterature contains structured information that facilitates detailed analyses of literature in the field of medical technology.

Previous analyses of research areas

Allocation of research funding

Part of the research funding that the University allocates to the faculties is based on performance and calculated using external financing and scientific publishing. The University has decided that the part that is based on scientific publishing should be calculated by the University Library using a bibliometric model.

Each faculty has chosen a bibliometric model to be used when calculating the data for the allocation of research funding.

• Sahlgrenska Academy and the Faculty of Science have chosen a model that measures the amount of citations in the database Web of Science.
• The Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts has its own model based on publication scores.
• The Faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and IT as well as the School of Business, Economics and Law all use the Norwegian model.

About the University's allocation of research funding

Model based on citation data from Web of Science

In this model, the allocation of grants is based on the number of citations combined with the number of publications. Citation data is retrieved from the Web of Science database and faculty affiliation is retrieved from the database GUP.

The result is calculated based on the faculty's average citation frequency and the number of publications. The citation frequency is divided by the average number of citations within the same field and year.

The Faculty of Science applies fractional counting in its model, where the citations are distributed among the authors. They have also adapted the model to take into account the Department of Conservation and have therefore chosen to include publications from GUP.

Model for the Faculty of fine, applied and performing arts

In this model, allocation of grants is based on publication types that are relevant to the faculty. Points are awarded on the basis of internally developed criteria.

Authorised publication types:

• Article in scientific journal
• Article in other journals
• Book
• Book chapter
• Artistic work that has been reviewed
• Artistic work that has not been reviewed
• Paper in proceeding

The Norwegian model

The Norwegian model bases allocation of research funding on publication type and on the publication channel's level of prestige within its field. The publications are awarded points based on publication type and level. In collaborations the publication's points are divided between the authors.

Authorised publication types:

• Monograph (not editing)
• Chapter
• Journal article
• Research review
• Published conference proceedings. A conference proceeding counts as a journal article if it is published in an authorised ISSN channel (journal) and as a chapter if it is published in an authorised ISBN channel (book).

Authorised academic publication channels:

• Journal, series or web site with ISSN
• Published book with ISBN

On the website of Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers you can read more about how the model works, search for authorised publication channels, and find out what criteria are used for inclusion. You can also suggest additions for channels that you think may be missing from the register.

Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers

Requests are processed in the following order:

1. University Management
2. Faculty Management
3. Department Management
4. Other units or centre of expertise and research

Contact us if you want to request a survey or have questions about bibliometrics.