The international reputation of scientific journals as a
mean of communication may be tested in different ways
(see ZITT & BASSECOULARD 1998), but the most significant
calculations are based on citation analysis of included articles.
This is an obvious record of the truly world-wide circulation
of the journal, coupled with the proven utility of published
results (GARFIELD 1990), i.e., successes in the increasing
‘competition for attention’ in modern science (FRANCK
1999). The most comprehensive and reliable source of such
data is the system of indexation of science and technology
journals created by the Institute for Scientific Information
(ISI) in Philadelphia. In principle, to find the position of a
journal in the ISI ranking it is enough to consult the annually
published statistical database Journal Citation Reports -
1999 Science Edition (JCR), where bibliometric characters
are presented for the 5550 source ‘master’ journals (see the
ISI Homepage http://www.isinet.com). Acta Geologica
Polonica (AGP) has not been included in the coverage by
the online Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded.
Consequently, AGP is not rated by ISI. [fragm. wstępu
