How bibliometrics and school rankings reward unreliable science
If we want better science we should start by deflating the importance of citations in promoting, funding, and hiring scientists, say Ivan Oransky and colleagues How much is a citation worth? $3? $6? $100 000? Any of those answers is correct, according to back-of-the-envelope calculations over the past few decades.123 The spread between these numbers suggests that none of them is accurate, but it’s inarguable that citations are the coin of the realm in academia. Bibliometrics and school rankings are largely based on publications and citations. Take the Times Higher Education rankings, for ...