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

[mmora at securenym.net]

Dear colleagues,
Impact factors are only a type of metric of several ones.
Similarly as K$/year could be a life success measure, it is clear
that there are other ones and maybe better. Furthermore,
IF's measure the likelihood of any paper published in such
a journal be cited in a time window, rather than the paper in particular,
so it is an indirect measure. It is possible that some papers published in
other journals with low IFs be more cited/used that others with higher IFs
values. Well, my 5 cents contribution !
Manuel Mora


On Mon, September 23, 2013 6:00 am, Joseph Sarkis wrote:
> This perspective is changing.  If you are in a Business School, AACSB's
> new standards are looking for evidence of broader impact.  Letters like
> this will be useful, if not necessary.  Especially since these items are
> evidence that go beyond citation impact factor, which, as has been noted
> has many flaws.
>
>
>
> Having said that, impact under the new AACSB standards will be discussed
> for years as schools come to grips with the new standards.
>
>
>
> -Joe S.
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: aisworld-bounces at lists.aisnet.org
> [aisworld-bounces at lists.aisnet.org] on behalf of Hossein Seif Zadeh
> [hossein.au at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2013 10:38 PM
> To: aisworld at lists.aisnet.org
> Subject: Re: [AISWorld] Downside of impact factors: Scientists engaging in
> 'citation stacking'
>
>
> Not currently employed as an academic, I have just prepared a fresh jar
> of coffee and I am embracing for an "interesting" philosophical debate
> without any tangible, actionable, outcome; but alas here we go again...
>
> Just to share one personal experience; I successfully completed a
> research project a few years ago and I received a letter of commendation
> (on federal government letterhead) specifically saying my research was of
> "national importance" and "impact". Later that year when I sought
> feedback on whether I should include the letter in my upcoming promotion
> pack, I was told it would contribute "zilch" as it was not peer-reviewed,
> not a recognized publication, and it was "just one letter by one
> person"!! Oh, well... Chalked it up as a lesson learnt; original research
> of national importance has no place in today's academia. Is this really
> the message we want to convey to junior, aspiring, academics?
>
> Coffee mug in hand, feet up, ready for the onslaught of emails.... on
> second thought, I might need a glass of red instead of coffee :-) Should
> be an interesting 48 hours or or so before the debate winds down.
>
> Cheers,
> Hossein
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 23/09/2013, at 3:22 AM, "Kappelman, Leon"
> <Leon.Kappelman at unt.edu<mailto:Leon.Kappelman at unt.edu>> wrote:
>
>
>
> 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-pape
> rs-after-being-caught-manipulating-citations/
>
>
>
> http://www.naturalnews.com/042152_citation_stacking_scientific_journals_d
> ishonesty.html
>
>
> Best wishes,
> Leon Kappelman
> Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” – Benjamin Franklin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 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<tel: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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