A user‐oriented interface for generalised informetric analysis based on applying advanced data modelling techniques

Abstract

This article presents a novel user‐oriented interface for generalised informetric analysis and demonstrates how informetric calculations can easily and declaratively be specified through advanced data modelling techniques. The interface is declarative and at a high level. Therefore it is easy to use, flexible and extensible. It enables end users to perform basic informetric ad hoc calculations easily and often with much less effort than in contemporary online retrieval systems. It also provides several fruitful generalisations of typical informetric measurements like impact factors. These are based on substituting traditional foci of analysis, for instance journals, by other object types, such as authors, organisations or countries. In the interface, bibliographic data are modelled as complex objects (non‐first normal form relations) and terminological and citation networks involving transitive relationships are modelled as binary relations for deductive processing. The interface is flexible, because it makes it easy to switch focus between various object types for informetric calculations, e.g. from authors to institutions. Moreover, it is demonstrated that all informetric data can easily be broken down by criteria that foster advanced analysis, e.g. by years or content‐bearing attributes. Such modelling allows flexible data aggregation along many dimensions. These salient features emerge from the query interface‘s general data restructuring and aggregation capabilities combined with transitive processing capabilities. The features are illustrated by means of sample queries and results in the article.

Informetrics at the beginning of the 21st century—A review

“…They apply their method in the area of Information Systems, a rather problematic field for evaluating quality, probably because of its multidisciplinarity, publication delays and proceedings publications. Jarvelin, Ingwersen, and Niemi (2000) propose a user-oriented interface for informetric analysis. They model bibliographic data as complex objects in a relational data structure.…”

Applications of SQL for Informetric Data Processing

“…Recently, more sophisticated database designs that include complete document representation within the database have been explored. Järvelin, Ingwersen, and Niemi (2000) outline a database model for storing bibliographic references and extracting data for informetric analysis. Their representation of bibliographic references as complex objects permits the study of author, journal, article, citation, and co-citation-based analyses using a specially developed querying approach.…”

Applications of SQL for informetric frequency distribution processing

“…JÄRVELIN et al (2000) outline a database model for storing bibliographic references and extracting data for informetric analysis. JÄRVELIN et al (2000) outline a database model for storing bibliographic references and extracting data for informetric analysis.…”