BIBLIOMETRIC PERFORMANCE-MEASURES

Three different types of bibliometrics - literature bibliometrics, pat ent bibliometrics, and linkage bibliometric can all be used to address various government performance and results questions. Applications of these three bibliometric types will be described within the framework of Weinberg's internal and external criteria, whether the work being done is good science, efficiently and effectively done, and whether it is important science from a technological viewpoint. Within all bibli ometrics the fundamental assumption is that the frequency with which a set of papers or patents is cited is a measure of the impact or influ ence of the set of papers. The literature bibliometric indicators are counts of publications and citations received in the scientific litera ture and various derived indicators including such phenomena as cross- sectoral citation, coauthorship and concentration within influential j ournals. One basic observation of literature bibliometrics, which carr ies over to patent bibliometrics, is that of highly skewed distributio ns - with a relatively small number of high-impact patents and papers, and large numbers of patents and papers of minimal impact. The key me asure is whether an agency is producing or supporting highly cited pap ers and patents. The final set of data are in the area of linkage bibl iometrics, looking at citations from patents to scientific papers. The se are particularly relevant to the external criteria, in that it is q uire obvious that institutions and supporting agencies whose papers ar e highly cited in patents are making measurable contributions to a nat ion's technological progress.