Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
523128 Journal of Informetrics 2011 12 Pages PDF
Abstract

This paper proposes an axiomatic analysis of Impact Factors when used as tools for ranking journals. This analysis draws on the similarities between the problem of comparing distribution of citations among papers and that of comparing probability distributions on consequences as commonly done in decision theory. Our analysis singles out a number of characteristic properties of the ranking based on Impact Factors. We also suggest alternative ways of using distributions of citations to rank order journals.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Computer Science Computer Science Applications
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