Evaluating research and researchers by the journal impact factor: Is it better than coin flipping?

作者:

Highlights:

• The JIF is used as a surrogate of the citation for paper evaluation.

• We compare the evaluations of two papers by the JIF and the number of citations.

• JIF paper evaluation fails when the JIF evaluation contradicts citation evaluation.

• We find high failure probabilities in JIF evaluations, as high as 0.5 in many cases.

摘要

•The JIF is used as a surrogate of the citation for paper evaluation.•We compare the evaluations of two papers by the JIF and the number of citations.•JIF paper evaluation fails when the JIF evaluation contradicts citation evaluation.•We find high failure probabilities in JIF evaluations, as high as 0.5 in many cases.

论文关键词:Research evaluation,Impact factor,Failure probability

论文评审过程:Received 8 October 2018, Revised 16 January 2019, Accepted 18 January 2019, Available online 29 January 2019, Version of Record 29 January 2019.

论文官网地址:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2019.01.009