Scientific evaluation based on bibliometric indicators:

beliefs and certainties, myths and realities, lights and shadows

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24310/enbio.17.192.2025.22866

Keywords:

Evaluation, science, research, scientists, bibliometrics, bibliometric indicators

Abstract

Bibliometric indicators have gained increasing prominence not only in evaluating the scientific
performance of researchers and the institutions in which they work, but also in shaping their professional and social
recognition. After reflecting on the reasons behind the use of bibliometric indicators in scientific evaluation, this work
critically examines the principles and assumptions on which they are based. Questions and doubts are raised regarding
the reliability and validity of these indicators, with the aim of encouraging readers to replace beliefs with certainties,
myths with realities, and to make intelligent, critical, and responsible use of them. The paper also speculates on the
future direction of bibliometric evaluation and concludes by reviewing the positive and negative effects—the lights and
shadows—of employing bibliometrics in the assessment of scientific activity.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Delgado López-Cozar, E. (2012). Cómo se cocinan

los rankings universitarios. Dendra médica. Revista

de humanidades, 11(1): 43-58.

Delgado-López-Cózar, E., Martín-Martín, A.

(2019). El Factor de Impacto de las revistas científicas

sigue siendo ese número que devora la ciencia

española:¿ hasta cuándo? Anuario ThinkEPI, 13.

Garfield, E. (1972). Citation analysis as a tool

in journal evaluation: Journals can be ranked by frequency

and impact of citations for science policy

studies. Science, 178(4060): 471-479.

Garfield, E. (1979). Citation Indexing - Its Theory

and Application in Science, Technology, and Humanities.

New York: Wiley,

Glänzel, W., Moed, H. F., Schmoch, U., Thelwall,

M. (eds.). (2019). Springer handbook of science and

technology indicators (p. 850). Dordrecht: Springer.

Moed, H.F. (2006). Citation analysis in research

evaluation (Vol. 9). Springer Science & Business Media.

Moed, H.F. (2017). Applied evaluative informetrics DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60522-7

(p. 312). Berlin: Springer International Publishing.

Narin, F. (1976). Evaluative bibliometrics: The

use of publication and citation analysis in the evaluation

of scientific activity. Cherry Hill, NJ: Computer

Horizons.

Orduña-Malea, E., Martín-Martín, A., & Delgado

López-Cózar, E. (2017). Metrics in academic profiles:

a new addictive game for researchers? Revista

española de salud pública, 90, e20006.

Downloads

Published

2026-01-24

Dimensions

PlumX

How to Cite

Scientific evaluation based on bibliometric indicators:: beliefs and certainties, myths and realities, lights and shadows. (2026). Encuentros En La Biología, 17(192), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.24310/enbio.17.192.2025.22866