Ranking authors using fractional counting of citations : an axiomatic approach

This paper analyzes from an axiomatic point of view a recent proposal for counting citations: the value of a citation given by a paper is inversely proportional to the total number of papers it cites. This way of fractionally counting citations was suggested as a possible way to normalize citation counts between fields of research having different citation cultures. It belongs to the “citing-side” approach to normalization. We focus on the properties characterizing this way of counting citations when it comes to ranking authors. Our analysis is conducted within a formal framework that is more complex but also more realistic than the one usually adopted in most axiomatic analyses of this kind

An axiomatic approach to bibliometric rankings and indices

This paper analyzes several well-known bibliometric indices using an axiomatic approach. We concentrate on indices aiming at capturing the global impact of a scientific output and do not investigate indices aiming at capturing an average impact. Hence, the indices that we study are designed to evaluate authors or groups of authors but not journals. The bibliometric indices that are studied include classic ones such as the number of highly cited papers as well as more recent ones such as the h-index and the g-index. We give conditions that characterize these indices, up to the multiplication by a positive constant. We also study the bibliometric rankings that are induced by these indices. Hence, we provide a general framework for the comparison of bibliometric rankings and indices

Towards a new crown indicator: Some theoretical considerations

The crown indicator is a well-known bibliometric indicator of research performance developed by our institute. The indicator aims to normalize citation counts for differences among fields. We critically examine the theoretical basis of the normalization mechanism applied in the crown indicator. We also make a comparison with an alternative normalization mechanism. The alternative mechanism turns out to have more satisfactory properties than the mechanism applied in the crown indicator. In particular, the alternative mechanism has a so-called consistency property. The mechanism applied in the crown indicator lacks this important property. As a consequence of our findings, we are currently moving towards a new crown indicator, which relies on the alternative normalization mechanism

Effects of metal contamination on the activity and diversity of carabid beetles in an ancient Pb-Zn mining area at Plombières (Belgium)

Carabid beetles were monthly sampled with pitfall traps in the ancient Pb-Zn mining area of Plombieres during one year. Based on the total soil concentrations of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper, it was expected that zinc would probably have the most adverse effects on the populations. Activity and species richness of carabid beetles were, however, not significantly correlated with total zinc concentration nor with the water soluble and the calciumchloride extractable concentration. In fact, despite the high soil concentrations, carabid beetles did not seem to be affected in the study area. The apparent lack of effects at the high observed zinc concentrations is probably caused by the low bioavailability of zinc to the beetles in the litter of the study sites which was also reflected in the low observed water soluble zinc concentrations