Document (#32604)

Author

Bensman, S.J.

Title

¬The impact factor, total citations, and better citation mouse traps : a commentary

Source

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 58(2007) no.12, S.1904-1908

Year

2007

Series

Brief communications

Abstract

This communication comments upon the article Measuring the Utility of Journals in the Crime-Psychology Field: Beyond the Impact Factor by Walters (2006), recently published in JASIST. Walters' article is utilized as a vehicle to demonstrate certain misconceptions and incorrect value judgments common to the literature on the impact factor, arising from a lack of understanding of this measure's role in the thought structure of its creator, Eugene Garfield, as well as of his utilization of this measure.

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