Services – what can we help you with?
We offer analyses, courses and guidance. Feel free to get in touch if you have questions about publishing activity at UiB, if you need help with your own analyses, or for advice on researcher profiles and the visibility of your own research.
Analyses of research – for researchers, leaders, advisers or projects
We can carry out various types of analysis to give better insight into activity in projects, at departments, faculties or thematic areas:
- Bibliometric overviews of specific research fields. For example, we have worked on analyses of pandemic-related research, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UiB's priority areas, remote sensing, music therapy, and medical education.
- Co-publishing with selected institutions or countries.
- Citation analyses, for example to find highly cited publications or map citation networks.
- Project publication lists and impact statistics, measured for example through citations, page views, mentions in social media, or use of research in patents or policy documents.
- Publishing activity by position type and gender.
A bibliometric analysis cannot replace peer review and should not form the sole basis for a decision. It can nevertheless be used to explore trends or as part of an overall assessment. You can read about our principles for the responsible use of bibliometrics at the bottom of the page.
Publishing statistics and impact – for researchers and CVs
You can use bibliometric statistics to support descriptions of your research and impact.
- Our guide Profiles and Publishing statistics gives advice on how to find and understand publishing statistics (for example the h-index, citations, and altmetrics).
- The guide also shows how to find use of your research in policy or patents.
- We can give advice on the choice of databases, what kind of statistics are suitable for your field, or which profiles and tools you can use. For larger project applications, we can give advice on the CV.
Researcher visibility and profiles
Visible research is read, cited and used. We help researchers at UiB with the fundamentals of visibility through publishing and online, from the choice of publishing channel to the choice and maintenance of researcher profiles.
- The page "Make your research visible" contains tips on making your work discoverable and visible.
- Our guide Profiles and Publishing statistics gives advice on choosing and using researcher profiles.
- We offer courses on ORCID and researcher profiles. Get in touch if you would like a course, or check the library calendar.
Help to do it yourself
Guides and resources on publishing statistics and publishing:
Contact
Send us an email to request an analysis or guidance. We take on requests according to capacity. Larger assignments take time, so it is best to send requests well in advance if you have any deadlines.
- Emails
- bibliometri@uib.no
About the bibliometrics group
The bibliometrics group is represented in UiB's analysis group, the BOA team, UiB Ferd, and national bodies for bibliometrics.
We base our analyses on various data sources, most often NVA/Cristin and Web of Science, but also the National Infrastructure for Bibliometrics, OpenAlex and PubMed. We use tools such as VOSviewer and Tableau.
Guidelines for the use of bibliometrics at the University Library
The bibliometrics group at the University Library bases its work on principles for responsible bibliometrics. The principles build on national and international recommendations and advice.
What can bibliometrics be used for?
Bibliometrics is a quantitative method of analysis used to analyse scholarly publications. A bibliometric analysis can be used to support strategic decisions and evaluation processes, but it should not replace peer review and is not suitable as a basis for concrete and oversimplified conclusions about scholarly quality.
We base our guidelines on sources such as Advice to research organizations and their leadership from The National Board of Scholarly Publishing and The Leiden Manifesto for research metrics (Hicks et al. (2015) Nature 520, 429–431. DOI: 10.1038/520429a).
Data quality and reliability of the analysis
Make clear the limitations and challenges of the available data and analysis. All data sources have their limitations. The underlying data should therefore be chosen according to the purpose, and limitations in the data source and the analysis should be described.
Openness and transparency
- The data should be made available as far as is permitted with regard to GDPR and as far as is practically possible.
- The analyses should be carried out in consultation with the person ordering them. The purpose of the analysis should be defined and the risk of misuse minimised.
- The analyses should normally be carried out in consultation with those being evaluated, in cases where bibliometric analyses are to be used as a basis for evaluation.
Clarification of needs and choice of indicators
- Take account of different fields and publishing practices. Citation analyses can only be carried out for academic fields that are well covered in the chosen and available citation database. Research on national matters and fields that use non-English forms of communication may be poorly represented in available data sources. This should be taken into account when mapping and evaluating.
- Consider the size of the group against the robustness of possible indicators. For example, publication points should not be applied at the individual level or to small groups.
- Do not use indicators that are not suitable for the purpose. For example, avoid using journal indicators (Journal Impact Factor and level) at the individual level, for small groups and for single articles.
- Use simple indicators rather than composite and weighted ones. Composite indicators such as publication points can obscure relationships.
- Use several indicators to illuminate context and increase the robustness of the analysis.