The field of bibliometrics is increasingly being used in higher education promotion and tenure processes. Macquarie University librarians define bibliometrics as "the statistical analysis of texts and information." Throughout this guide you will find practical information on locating and applying bibliometic data, as well as definitions of related terms and recommendations for future reading.
Bibliometrics are often used to evaluate the impact of a scholar's work or to determine the importance of a journal within a particular field. You may frequently hear about citation analysis, which according to the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science, is a "bibliometric technique in which works cited in publications are examined to determine patterns of scholarly communication, for example, the comparative importance of books versus journals, or of current versus retrospective sources, in one or more academic disciplines."
This guide was created for LIU Brooklyn faculty wishing to learn more about the principles of citation analysis and the role that it plays in current academic promotion and tenure processes.