shelves of boxes containing print journals

Bibliometrics are the quantitative study of publications and can be applied to any type of research output, author or institution. In different contexts, bibliometrics are sometimes used alongside expert peer review to assess a publication.

The College is committed to ensuring that our procedures for assessing the achievements of all staff are fair, transparent and robust and in 2015 undertook the Richardson review (pdf), investigating the use of bibliometrics in staff performance assessment. A formal commitment to not considering journal-based metrics in recruitment and promotion decisions has been in place since 2017, when the College signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). This has implications for the way that bibliometrics are used to evaluate publications in College.

The Bibliometrics Service assists staff and students in understanding bibliometrics and identifying ways to use them appropriately to demonstrate the performance of their published research.