QUALITATIVE CONDITIONS OF SCIENTOMETRICS - THE NEW CHALLENGES

While scientometrics is now an established field, there are challenges . A closer look at how scientometricians aggregate building blocks int o artfully made products, and point-represent these (e.g. as the map o f field X) allows one to overcome the dependence on judgements of scie ntists for validation, and replace or complement these with intrinsic validation, based on quality checks of the several steps. Such quality checks require qualitative analysis of the domains being studied. Qua litative analysis is also necessary when noninstitutionalized domains and/or domains which do not emphasize texts are to be studied. A furth er challenge is to reflect on the effects of scientometrics on the dev elopment of science; indicators could lead to 'induced' aggregation. T he availability of scientometric tools and insights might allow scient ists and science to become more reflexive.