[AISWorld] Downside of impact factors: Scientists engaging in 'citation stacking'

[Kappelman, Leon]

Some of our institutions have adopted or are considering the use of impact factors as a metric for faculty performance.  Certainly our current faculty performance measures are less than perfect so it seems to be a suggestion worthy of consideration.  But impact factors are not without controversy and apparently prone to manipulation and questionable behaviors.  So before embracing impact factors, consider that at least to some extent they are a measure of what some might call "incestuous citation behaviors."  Not surprising since most all of us understand that when it comes to human behavior, you get what you measure.  The big question is: Do the positives of using impact factors, or any other metric or combination of measure for that matter, sufficiently outweigh the negatives?



Here is some of the "food for thought" that raised my eyebrows enough to send this note:



http://www.nature.com/news/brazilian-citation-scheme-outed-1.13604



http://occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2012/08/13/sick-of-impact-factors/



http://retractionwatch.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/journal-retracts-two-papers-after-being-caught-manipulating-citations/



http://www.naturalnews.com/042152_citation_stacking_scientific_journals_dishonesty.html


Best wishes,
Leon Kappelman
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom." - Benjamin Franklin
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Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D.
  Professor of Information Systems
  Director Emeritus, Information Systems Research Center
  Fellow, Texas Center for Digital Knowledge
    College of Business, University of North Texas
    Voice: 940-565-4698   Email: kapp at unt.edu<mailto:kapp at unt.edu>
Founding Chair, Society for Information Management's Enterprise Architecture Working Group
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