Bibliometrics and Citation Analysis for the Psychologist-Manager: A Review and Select Readings

Abstract

While most professional psychologists are knowledgeable in scholarly database searching when conducting research, most practitioners are probably less familiarized with the rapidly advancing fields of bibliometrics, and, particularly, citation analysis. Due to the profusion of knowledge in the field, professional managers need to be cognizant of the major benefits of citation searching as a research tool (a) in identifying major trends and credibility level of issues in business, industry, management strategies and techniques, and applied psychology; and (b) in identifying the comprehensive acceptance of an expert’s research and scholarly productivity across disciplines. One key strategic approach is referred to as cited-reference analysis, a rather intricate operational feature available in modern indexes such as Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO. The current article reviews recent literature in this area that should prove informative to the psychologist-manager. The review emphasizes published research on the topic of bibliometrics, over the past decade, in the disciplines of psychology and management. This analysis concludes that (a) cited-reference based results can vary largely and are contingent on the type of citation analysis performed; (b) databases, that offer citation options, rely on idiosyncratic methods, coverage, and transparency of functions; (c) the operational functions of citation analysis are rather perplex; and (d) research in this area is advancing at an exponential pace. Based on these concerns, the psychologistmanager would be well served to stay abreast of developments in bibliometrics research. An extended bibliography is provided as an addendum that provides scholarly sources for supplemental reading.