Published in:
Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo
2004, specijalni broj, str. 38-49.
The Evaluation of Journals Based on Bibliometric Indicators: Description of a Model and Implications
Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, Department of Psychology
Abstract: Various part members of academic community, such as libraries, individual scientists, institutes and associations, are practicing journal evaluation for various purposes. Although their needs may be specific, they can be met by a common methodology. Most prestigious, or so called core journals are generally evaluated by using Impact Factor (IF), a well-known indicator published in Journal Citation Report (JCR) by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI), Philadelphia. IF is derived from the data contained in citation databases (SCI, SSCI, and A&HCI) of the same publisher. IF is broadly criticized for various shortcomings. However, its inadequacy for evaluating journals published in peripheral countries and "small" languages has less to do with validity of IF itself, and more with the contents of ISI citation databases. ISI databases are referring a restricted number of higher quality journals, living peripheral countries, such as Serbia, practically without an opportunity to evaluate their national journals on the common ground. This is a serious obstacle for the scientific development of developing countries, since local journals have an important role in dissemination of knowledge, local research application and national higher education.
Keywords: journal evaluation, Journal Citation Report, Impact Factor, bibliometrics, peripheral science, Serbia
