This series was designed and taught by Chris Belter, Ya-Ling Lu, and Candace Norton at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library in the United States. It was originally presented in weekly installments to NIH Library staff from January-May 2019 and adapted for web viewing later the same year.
The goal of the series is to provide free, on-demand training on how we do bibliometrics for research evaluation. Although demand for bibliometric indicators and analyses in research evaluation is growing, broadly available and easily accessible, training on how to provide those analyses is scarce. The NIH Library has
been providing bibliometric services for years, and they wanted to share their experience with others to facilitate the broader adoption of accurate and responsible bibliometric practice in research assessment. They hope this series acts as a springboard for others to get started with bibliometrics so that they feel more comfortable moving beyond this series on their own.
The training series consists of 13 individual courses, organized into 7 thematic areas. Links to each course in the series are provided on the left. Each course includes a training video with audio transcription, supplemental reading to reinforce the concepts introduced in the course, and optional practice exercises.
The course creators recommend that the modules be viewed in the order in which they are listed. They are listed in the same order as the analyses that the NIH Library staff typically perform to produce one of their standard reports. Many of the courses also build on concepts introduced in previous courses, and may be difficult to understand if viewed out of order. It's also recommended that the series be taken over the course of 13 consecutive weeks, viewing one course per week. A lot is covered in these courses, so it is a good idea to take your time with them to make sure you understand each course before moving on to the next. It's also recommended that you try to complete the practice exercises that accompany many of the courses, because the best way to learn bibliometrics is by doing it.
Tools:
This course uses a range of data sources and tools in this training series. Some of the data sources are only available by subscription, but all the analytical tools used are free and open source. To follow along with the courses in this series, you will want to download and install the following software on your computer: OpenRefine, Science of Science (Sci2) Tool, Gephi, and Inkscape. More information about these tools is available on the tools page and will be provided throughout the series. Please note that mention or use of commercially available tools and data sources in this series does not constitute endorsement of those tools and data sources by the NIH Library, the National Institutes of Health, or the US government.