Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Integrating Scientometric Indicators into Sociological Studies: Methodical and Methodological Problems

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article discusses the methodological problems of integrating scientometric methods into a qualitative study. Integrative attempts of this kind are poorly supported by the methodologies of both the sociology of science and scientometrics. Therefore it was necessary to develop a project-specific methodological approach that linked scientometric methods to theoretical considerations. The methodological approach is presented and used to discuss general methodological problems concerning the relation between (qualitative) theory and scientometric methods. This discussion enables some conclusions to be drawn as to the relations that exist between scientometrics and the sociology of science.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amsterdamska, O., L. Leydesdorff (1989) Citations: Indicators of significance, Scientometrics, 15:449-471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barre, R. (1994) Do not look for scapegoats! Link bibliometrics to social sciences and address societal needs, Scientometrics, 30:419-424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, T., W. GlÄnzel (1990) United Germany: The new scientific superpower? Scientometrics, 19:513-521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, T., A. Schubert (1990) International collaboration in the sciences 1981–1985, Scientometrics, 19:3-10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, T., I. GÓmez, A, MÉndez, A. Schubert (1992) International co-authorship patterns in physics and its subfields, 1981–1985, Scientometrics, 24:181-200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callon, M., J.-P. Courtial, W. A. Turner, S. Bauin(1983) From translations to problematic networks: An introduction to co-word analysis, Social Science Information, 22:191-235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, H. (1992a) Communication between Chinese and non-Chinese scientists in the discovery of high-Tc superconductor: I. The formal perspective, Scientometrics, 25:229-252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu, H. (1992b) Communication between Chinese and non-Chinese scientists in the discovery of high-Tc superconductor: II. The informal perspective, Scientometrics, 25:253-277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chubin, D.E. (1985) Beyond invisible colleges: Inspirations and aspirations of post-1972 social studies of science, Scientometrics, 7:221-254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chubin, D. E.., S. D. Moitra (1975) Content analysis of references: Adjunct or alternative to citation counting?, Social Studies of Science, 5:423-441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Czerwon, H.-J. (1997) Rezeption ostdeutscher Zeitschriften durch die internationale wissenschaftliche Gemeinschaft. Quantitative Analyse zu naturwissenschaftlichen Journalen, Hochschule Ost, 3/4:137-150.

    Google Scholar 

  • GlÄnzel, W., U. SchÖpflin (1994) Little scientometrics, big scientometrics... and beyond? Scientometrics, 30:375-384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GlÄser, J. (1998) Kognitive Neuorientierung der ostdeutschen auβeruniversitären Grundlagenforschung als Folge des Institutionentransfers. Discussion Paper P 98-402. Berlin: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung.

    Google Scholar 

  • GlÄser, J. (2001) Scientific specialties as the (currently missing) link between scientometrics and the sociology of science. Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Scientometrics & Informetrics ISSI-2001, Sydney, Australia, 16–20 July 2001.

  • GlÄser, J., W. Meske (1996) Anwendungsorientierung von Grundlagenforschung? Erfahrungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR. Frankfurt am Main: Campus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godin, B., M.-P. Ippersiel (1996) Scientific collaboration at the regional level: The case of a small country, Scientometrics, 36:59-68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, B. (1994) Little scientometrics, little scientometrics, little scientometrics, little scientometrics,... and so on and so on, Scientometrics, 30:487-493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grupp, H., S. Hinze (1994) International orientation, efficiency of and regard for research in East and West Germany: A bibliometric investigation of aspects of technology genesis in the United Germany, Scientometrics, 29:83-113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jagodzinski-Sigogneau, M., J.-P. Courtial, B. Latour (1982) How to measure the degree of indepence of a research system, Scientometrics, 4:119-133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JimÉnez-Contreras, E., L. Ferreiro-AlÁez (1996) Publishing abroad: Fair trade or short sell for non-english-speaking authors? A spanish study, Scientometrics, 36:81-95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knorr-Cetina, K. (1982) Scientific communities or transepistemic arenas of research? A critique of quasieconomic models of science, Social Studies of Science, 12:101-130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knorr-Cetina, K. D. (1995) How superorganisms change: Consensus formation and the social ontology of high-energy physics experiments, Social Studies of Science, 25:119-147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knorr-Cetina, K. D. (1999) Epistemic Cultures: How the Sciences Make Knowledge. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kretschmer, H. (1994) Quantity and quality in 'science of Science', Scientometrics, 30:533-537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kyvik, S., I. M. Larsen (1994) International contact and research performance, Scientometrics, 29:161-172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, F. W., R. H. Burger, B. M. Rauchfuss (1992) Use of literature by East European scientists: What influences place of publication of sources cited? Scientometrics, 24:419-439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laudel, G. (2001) What do we measure by co-authorships? Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Scientometrics & Informetrics ISSI-2001, Sydney, Australia, 16–20 July 2001.

  • Le Pair, C. (1994) Puberty or mid-life crisis? Scientometrics, 30:517-520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff, L. (1998) Theories of citation? Scientometrics, 43:5-25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff, L., P. Van den besselaar (1997) Scientometrics and communication theory: Towards theoretically informed indicators, Scientometrics, 38:155-174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff, L., P. Wouters (1996) Quantitative measuring or qualitative understanding: Is it possible to bridge the divide in STS?, EASST Review, 15 (3):20-24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff, L., P. Wouters (1999) Between texts and contexts: Advances in theories of citation? (A rejoinder), Scientometrics, 44:169-182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luukkonen, T. (1990) Citations in the rhetorical, reward and communication systems of science, Acta Universitatis Tamperensis, Ser A, vol. 285, Tampere: University of Tampere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luukkonen, T. (1997) Why has Latour's theory of citations been ignored by the bibliometric community? Discussion of sociological interpretations of citation analysis, Scientometrics, 38:27-37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacÍas-Chapula, C. A. (1992) Patterns of scientific communication among Latin American countries, in the field of medical education, Scientometrics, 23:123-135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merton, R. K. (1968) The Matthew effect in science, Science, 159:56-63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meske, W., J. GlÄser, G. Groβ, M. HÖppner, C. Melis (1997) Die Integration von ostdeutschen Blaue-Liste-Instituten in die deutsche Wissenschaftslandschaft Abschluβbericht an die DFG (unveröffentlicht, Az.: Me 1075/2). Berlin: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung

    Google Scholar 

  • Meske, W., J. Mosoni-Fried, H. Etzkowitz, G. Nesvetailov (Eds.) (1998) Transforming Science and Technology Systems — the Endless Transition? Amsterdam: IOS Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moravcsik, M., J. Poovanalingam Murugesan (1978) Some results on the function and quality of citations, Social Studies of Science, 5:86-92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nederhof, A. J., A. F. J. Van Raan(1987) Citation theory and the Ortega Hypothesis, Scientometrics, 12:325-328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheim, C., S. P. Renn (1978) Highly cited old papers and the reasons why they continue to be cited, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 29:225-231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peritz, B. C. (1994) Little scientometrics, big scientometrics... and beyond, Scientometrics, 30:415-418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polanyi, M. (1962) The republic of science: Its political and economic theory, Minerva, 1:54-73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price, D. De Solla (1981) Coping with the biomedical literature: A primer for the scientist and the clinician. In: K. S. Warren (Ed.), The Development and Structure of the Biomedical Literature, New York: Praeger, 12-13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rey-Rocha, J., M. J. MartÍn-Sempere (1999) The role of domestic journals in geographically-oriented disciplines: The case of spanish journals on Earth sciences, Scientometrics, 45:203-216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russel, J. M. (1994) Back to the future for informetrics, Scientometrics, 30:407-410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Small, H. G. (1978) Cited documents as concept symbols, Social Studies of Science, 8:327-340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, H. (1998) Citations and consilience in science (Letter to the Editor), Scientometrics, 43:143-148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Besselaar, P. (2000) Communication between science and technology studies journals: A case study in differentiation and integration in scientific fields, Scientometrics, 47:169-193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan, A. F. J. (1994) Little scientometrics, big scientometrics... and beyond, Scientometrics, 30:529-531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan, A. F. J. (1997) Scientometrics: State-of-the-Art, Scientometrics, 38:205-218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan, A. F. J. (1998) In matters of quantitative studies of science the fault of theorists is offering too little and asking too much, Scientometrics, 43:129-139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitley, R. (1974) Cognitive and social institutionalization of scientific specialties and research areas. In: Whitley, R. (Ed.): Social Processes of Scientific Development. London/Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 69-95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woolgar, S. W. (1976) The identification and definition of scientific collectivities. In: Lemaine, Gerard (Eds), Perspectives on the Emergence of Scientific Disciplines, Chicago: Aldine, 235-245.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Evaluation and Policy Project, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Australia

    Jochen Gläser & Grit Laudel

Authors
  1. Jochen Gläser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Grit Laudel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gläser, J., Laudel, G. Integrating Scientometric Indicators into Sociological Studies: Methodical and Methodological Problems. Scientometrics 52, 411–434 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014243832084

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014243832084

Keywords

Search

Navigation