Google Scholar Metrics: an unreliable tool for assessing scientific journals

[Tomas Baiget]

A very well reputed bibliometrics team of the Granada University, Spain, has carried an study on the flaws that Google Scholar Metrics have, that impede its use for evaluating scientific journals.

Delgado-López-Cózar, Emilio; Cabezas-Clavijo, Álvaro. “Google Scholar Metrics: an unreliable tool for assessing scientific journals”. El profesional de la información, 2012, July-August, v. 21, n. 4, pp. 419-427.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3145/epi.2012.jul.15

Pdf freely downloadable from:
http://www.elprofesionaldelainformacion.com/contenidos/2012/julio/15_eng.pdf


Abstract
We introduce Google Scholar Metrics (GSM), a new bibliometric product of Google that aims at providing the H-index for scientific journals and other information sources. We conduct a critical review of GSM showing its main characteristics and possibilities as a tool for scientific evaluation. We discuss its coverage along with the inclusion of repositories, bibliographic control, and its options for browsing and searching. We conclude that, despite Google Scholar’s value as a source for scientific assessment, GSM is an immature product with many shortcomings, and therefore we advise against its use for evaluation purposes. However, the improvement of these shortcomings would place GSM as a serious competitor to the other existing products for evaluating scientific journals.

Keywords
Google, Google Scholar, Google Scholar Metrics, Scientific Journals, Repositories, H-Index, Bibliometric Indicators, Scientific Assessment.


Regards,

Tomàs Baiget
Barcelona, Spain

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2012-08-11
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