The library perform analyses and visualisations of Umeå University publication patterns. We also collaborate with the university bibliometrics specialist on compiling data used to inform evaluations and performance assessments.
Analysis of scholarly communication
All scholarly publications affiliated with Umeå university are registered in the publication database DiVA.
Metadata generated in the process is, among other things, used as base data for statistics and also to make more advanced analyses of patterns within the scholarly communication output of the university. Anybody can retrieve data from DiVA in order to execute analysis by themselves. Instructions on how to retrieve such data can be found in the manual "Create feeds in DiVA".
The results of the analysis is dependent on the quality of data. The library continuously performs quality control of the DiVA contents, but it is also important that the information put into the database is as accurate as possible from the beginning.
When the library performs statistic and bibliometric analyses of scholarly communication, we often make use of data from other sources and databases in order to supplement and deepen the data from DiVA. For example, we might use feeds from services such as Unpaywall in order to gather information on the university open access publishing patterns.
We might also gather information from other publication databases in order to access supplementary information when analysing cooperations, co-authorships, citation patterns and networks of knowledge production within subject fields and research domains.
Publication data as basis for decision making: The Norwegian Register and Journal impact factor
A bibliometrics specialist located at the library works in cooperation with the Planning Office and the heads of faculty in order to supply groundwork for decisions on funding, evaluations and annual reports.
The Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers
Several faculties make use of the Norwegian register in order to compile groundwork for assessments and evaluations. The list is a registry containing information on well-recognised publication channels, assessed by representatives of the research community of Norway. The list is structured around two levels of publication channels:
Level 1: Most publication channels
Level 2: Publication channels considered to be especially distinguished (approximately 10%)
Nominations and acceptance of scholarly publication channels for level 1 is continuously ongoing, while revisions of level 2 occur annually.
When a researcher's publication is evaluated, the publication derives statistical weight based on the publication channel in which it was published. A publication channel considered to be especially distinguished carries more weight. It is important that data concerning the ISSN or ISBN of the publication is supplied when registering in DiVA in order for this kind of analysis to be possible.
Journal impact factor (JIF) is a measurement on how many times an article in a specific journal has been cited, on average. A journal with a high impact factor is considered as more prominent and carries a higher weight when this measure is used in evaluations.
There are different varieties of JIF, each calculated in different ways. Two common sources for information on journal impact factors are
Journal Citation Reports (JCR)
Scopus Sources.
The method to calculate JIF in Scopus Sources is called CiteScore.
You can access both Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources via our electronic resources:
Metadata is data or information about other data or information, a description of something other than itself. When registering a publication in DiVA, the information filled into the form is metadata.
Metadata for a single publication can be seen when clicking on a record for a book or an article within the library search system or in DiVA. The record, among other things, contain information on how the resource can be found, person or persons of origin and subject.
There might be more data in a publication database than can be seen when looking at a record through the search interface. For example, some information necessary for administration might be hidden from public view for integrity reasons.
Metadata enable content to be findable and possible to understand in an overarching way, without having to go to the original source. The more generous the metadata description of the material is, the better insight for the user into the content, context, type and nature of the original material.
The field of bibliometrics usually include a set of methods purposed to extract and analyse information based on bibliographic data. Bibliographic data is metadata descriptions of various kinds of publications. Bibliometrics is a field of research in its own right, with publication channels and conferences.
Bibliometric methods can, as a rule, be categorised as either explorative or evaluating. Methods for evaluations, such as citation analysis and analyses of publication channels (JIF) aim to draw conclusions about the impact of a publication or a journal, while explorative methods often describe structures and patterns of publications without the aim of making normative or appraising statements.
Altmetrics
Altmetrics is a relatively new way to measure research that has emerged as a complement to traditional bibliometrics. It provides a more diverse view of how research is disseminated, particularly outside academia. Altmetrics focuses on examining the societal impact of research using sources other than scholarly journals. Among other things, it measures
page views and downloads
tweets and other social media sharing
citations on Wikipedia
citations in patents and policy documents
mentions in the news.
It is not only publications that can be tracked but also other types of research results that are digitally published, such as research data and code. Some examples of services that offer altmetric data are
Unpaywall is a database containing open access scholarly articles, thus simultaneously compiling metadata on open access publishing. The Unpaywall API is open.
The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet in Swedish) provide recommendations to decision makers considering research political issues and make use of bibliometrics and publication data for analyses and evaluations.
