Challenges to develop scientometric studies

Abstract

The authors  examine  the  key problems  inhibiting  scientometric studies and  scientific  communications. These  challenges call  for significant  efforts  and professional courage. Firstly, this is the need for open access to scientometric data and improvement of their  quality  and comprehensiveness, including  author  data, affiliations, citations  and meta  information.  The authors  emphasize the  necessity for large-scale introduction of technologies for identifying  objects  of science  information   (i.  e.  publications,  researchers,  organizations,  projects,  etc.),  which would enable  to decrease significantly the number of bibliographic  mistakes.When projecting  scientometric studies, the  edge  of objects  and analysis  instruments have  to be defined  by the  goals  rather  than  by bibliometric  database limitations.  Indexing  of scientific  publications is among  the  key instruments. Its advancement is determined by emerging  and low-quality  classifications of bibliometric  databases, their  differences, and  changing  science  structure.  Finally, the propriety  of scientometric methods  and results  interpretation, in particular  that  of scientometric performance assessment, have to be controlled.    Meeting these challenges will enable  to provide  efficient  monitoring  of scientific  activity based on  operative  collection, processing  and  analysis  of scientific  information  flows rather  than  on annual  statistical surveys. This transfer  would improve monitoring significantly and expand  the spectrum  of solutions;  it would also enable  to reveal system changes  in research, to respond  to disparities  in development, and to make the solutions  in science management more efficient.