CiteScore

CiteScore. It is a bibliometric indicator that measures the average number of citations received in a given year by documents published in a scientific journal over the preceding three years. Developed and launched by the academic publishing giant Elsevier in 2016, it is calculated annually using data from the Scopus abstract and citation database. The metric was introduced as a transparent and freely accessible alternative to other journal-level metrics, providing a standardized measure of citation impact across a vast array of disciplines.

Definition and calculation

The calculation for a given year is defined as the number of citations received in that year to documents published in the journal over the preceding three-year period, divided by the total number of documents published in that same three-year window. This includes all document types indexed in Scopus, such as research articles, review articles, conference papers, data papers, and editorials. The inclusion of all document types in both the numerator and denominator is a key differentiator from some other metrics. The resulting figure is presented with one decimal place, and the underlying data is publicly viewable on the Scopus source page for each serial title, promoting transparency. Annual updates are released as part of the CiteScore Tracker throughout the year before the final annual metric is fixed.

Comparison with other metrics

The most frequent point of comparison is the Journal Impact Factor from Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports, which uses a two-year window and counts only "citable items" like articles and reviews. Unlike the proprietary Impact Factor, CiteScore values are freely accessible without a subscription to Scopus. Other metrics include the SCImago Journal Rank, which also uses Scopus data but incorporates a prestige weighting based on the PageRank algorithm, and the Eigenfactor score, which uses data from the Web of Science. The h-index for journals, while related, measures productivity and impact combined rather than average citation rate. The broader initiative of Responsible Metrics, often associated with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, encourages the critical use of all such indicators.

History and development

CiteScore was officially launched by Elsevier in late 2016, with an initial release covering metrics for the 2011-2015 period. Its development was a direct response to the academic community's call for greater transparency and open access to journal performance data. The launch positioned it as a competitor to the established Journal Impact Factor from Clarivate. Since its inception, the methodology has been refined, and the range of accompanying metrics has expanded, including the introduction of the CiteScore Percentile and CiteScore Rank to allow for better cross-disciplinary comparison. The ongoing development is part of Elsevier's broader strategy to enhance its analytical tools within the Scopus and SciVal research intelligence platforms.

Usage and application

Researchers and librarians use CiteScore to compare the perceived impact of journals within a specific field when making decisions about where to submit manuscripts. University administrators and funding bodies, such as the National Institutes of Health or the European Research Council, may consider it alongside other metrics in research assessment exercises and grant evaluations. It is frequently utilized in bibliometric analysis studies to map the influence of publications within a discipline. The metric is also employed by publishers like Springer Nature and Wiley in promotional materials for their journals. Its integration into the SciVal tool allows for large-scale benchmarking of institutional research performance against global standards.

Criticisms and limitations

A primary criticism is that, like all journal-level metrics, it is often misapplied to evaluate the work of individual researchers, a practice condemned by the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment. The inclusion of all document types can advantage journals that publish a high volume of quickly cited items like reviews, potentially skewing comparisons. Critics argue it may reinforce the prestige of large commercial publishers like Elsevier and Springer Nature over smaller society publishers. The metric's reliance on the coverage of the Scopus database means it may underrepresent regional journals or those in non-English languages. Furthermore, it does not account for disciplinary differences in citation practices, a issue partially addressed by the CiteScore Percentile but not fully resolved. The broader field of scientometrics continues to debate the validity and ethical use of such indicators.

Category:Bibliometrics Category:Academic publishing Category:Research evaluation