Scientometrics is the study of science and technology from a quantitative perspective. It encompasses the measurement, analysis and interpretation of data related to science and technology, including indicators such as patents, publications, research expenditures and scientific personnel. Scientometrics can be used to assess the impact of individual scientists or institutions, to identify emerging fields or hot topics in science and technology, or to track the progress of scientific research over time.
The history of scientometrics dates back to the early 19th century, when British polymath Charles Babbage developed a system for quantifying the output of different academic disciplines. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that scientometrics began to emerge as a distinct field of study. The term “scientometrics” was first coined by American sociologist Robert K. Merton in his 1968 paper “Science: The Social Dimension”. In this seminal work, Merton proposed a set of four “laws” governing the structure and development of science:
1) The Matthew effect: “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” – more successful scientists tend to receive disproportionately more credit for their work than less successful scientists;
2) The linearity principle: scientific productivity is a function of time – each additional year spent on research will lead to an incremental increase in output;
3) The exponential law: scientific knowledge grows at an exponential rate;
4) The law of diminishing returns: as more resources are devoted to research (e.g., money, manpower), the marginal return on investment decreases.
Merton’s laws have been extremely influential in shaping our understanding of how science works. They have also been very useful in practical terms, providing a framework for evaluating research productivity and identifying areas where further investment may be warranted.
since then, scientometrics has grown into a highly interdisciplinary field with roots in sociology, economics, information science and psychology. Today, scientometrics is widely used by government agencies, funding bodies and policy-makers to inform decision-making about investments in science and technology