indi:oa - Project details

indi:oa - Responsible evaluation and quality assurance of OA publications by means of bibliometric indicators

The expansion of the Open Access ecosystem poses new challenges for research institutions in Germany: With the shift to a publication-based acquisition model, they are more than ever required to precisely monitor their research and publication output. At the same time, bibliometric services are also more and more requested in OA publication consulting. The demands on bibliometric expertise are increasing.

It can be assumed that the use of bibliometric methods in advising authors and in internal and external communication, without reflecting on their limited significance, can inhibit sustainable OA transformation and put small and medium-sized, innovative OA publication formats at a particular disadvantage.

Against this background, the indi:oa project aims at a responsible use of bibliometric indicators in the evaluation of primary OA publication venues in scientific practice. The project is carried out in cooperation with the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies Berlin and combines bibliometric studies with awareness activities. It pursues three sets of questions:

Which information needs do people working in the field have in the context of the OA transformation? What role do bibliometric services play in their consulting practice and how are they organizationally anchored? To what extent do they work together with the departments oft research information? How do information needs differ within the institution?
Are OA officers' preconceptions about how bibliometric indicators work consistent with those of bibliometric research? Is there bibliometric evidence for emergence, dynamics, and citation patterns in OA? What alternatives to conventional bibliometric methods can be identified for analyzing and evaluating the OA publication venues of small and medium-sized publishers?
How can the current practice be evaluated? Which strategic and content-related support can be derived with regard to a responsible use of bibliometric procedures in the OA transformation? How can good practice be established in everyday professional life?

The SUB Göttingen is responsible for two working areas. These aim at

the survey, analysis and review of information needs at scientific institutions in the context of OA transformation and bibliometrics in Germany, and
the creation and dissemination of evidence-based recommendations for action as well as a mentoring program on the topic complex of ‘OA transformation and bibliometrics’.