Competencies for bibliometrics

Abstract

Universities are increasingly offering support services for bibliometrics, often based in the library. This paper describes work done to produce a competency model for those supporting bibliometrics. The results of a questionnaire in which current practitioners rated bibliometric tasks as entry level, core or specialist are reported. Entry level competencies identified were explaining bibliometric concepts, doing basic calculations and some professional skills. Activities identified by participants as core are outlined. Reflecting on items that were considered in scope but specialist there was less stress on evaluating scholars, work at a strategic level, working with data outside proprietary bibliometric tools and consultancy-type services as opposed to training for disintermediated use. A competency model is presented as an appendix.

Underrated or overstated? The need for technological competencies in scholarly communication librarianship

“…Paraphrasing multiple authors, Inskip (2016) describes how technological changes are turning librarians into "polymaths" or "blended professionals", merging "identities and practices" and crossing "contested jurisdictions" into rival service areas (p. 65). In SC, too, it seems that staff must combine the skills of liaison, data, digital, e-resource, research and other librarians, as well as dipping into specialist subfields like bibliometrics or RDM (S. Brown, Alvey, Danilova, Morgan, & Thomas, 2018;Cox, Gadd, et al, 2017;Koltay, 2019). If SCLs are functioning as research support generalists, this "suggest[s that] a wide, almost overwhelming number of skills, qualities, and knowledge areas [are] necessary" to the profession (Saunders, 2019, p. 7).…”

“…Other studies investigate the roles of specialists in areas such as bibliometrics or research data management (RDM) (e.g. Cox, Gadd, Petersohn, & Sbaffi, 2017). A more limited number of studies focus on SC librarianship in particular, and of these there are a small number that the competencies needed by staff specifically in the UK (Blanchett & SC3, 2019;Calarco, Shearer, Schmidt, & Tate, 2016).…”

International Trade and Sustainability: Bibliometric and Cluster Analysis

“…For example, Spinak [19] stated that "bibliometrics studies the organization of the scientific and technological sectors from bibliographic and patent sources to identify the actors, their relationships and trends". An instrument was needed to determine the priorities in the different fields of research, and even within them [20,21].…”

Library and Information Science Research in India during the Last Four Decades 1980 2019

“…The application of bibliometrics is very much justified to measure the level and impact of publicly funded research. Almetrics, another useful tool, measures the impact of research as reflected through social media 4 .…”