Lecture Notes: Databases and Research Metrics
1. Introduction to Research Paper Types
1.1 Types of Research Papers
• Original Research Articles: Primary research presenting new data or findings.
• Review Articles:
• Narrative Review: Broad discussion of literature.
• Systematic Review: Follows a structured methodology.
• Meta-analysis: Statistical synthesis of multiple studies.
• Short Communications: Brief reports of new data.
• Case Studies: In-depth analysis of a particular case.
• Conceptual Papers: Propose new models or theories.
• Technical Papers: Innovations in methodologies or technical processes.
• White Papers: Authoritative reports on specific topics, often policy-oriented.
1.2 Journal Classification
• Based on Discipline: Science, Social Science, Humanities, etc.
• Based on Access:
• Open Access (OA)
• Subscription-based
• Based on Review Type:
• Peer-reviewed
• Non-peer-reviewed
• Indexed vs. Non-indexed Journals
2. Research Databases & Indexing
2.1 Importance of Indexing
• Enhances discoverability.
• Higher credibility for researchers.
• Increases citation probability.
2.2 Major Indexing Databases
Database Publisher Focus
Web of Science Clarivate Multidisciplinary
Scopus Elsevier Large coverage, multidisciplinary
PubMed NCBI Life sciences, health sciences
IEEE Xplore IEEE Engineering, technology
ERIC U.S. Department Education
Google Scholar Google Broad, less curated
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2.3 Web of Science (WoS)
• SCIE: Science Citation Index Expanded
• SSCI: Social Sciences Citation Index
• AHCI: Arts & Humanities Citation Index
2.4 Scopus
• Largest abstract and citation database.
• Covers sciences, technology, medicine, and social sciences.
3. Citation Metrics
3.1 Individual Author Metrics
Metric Definition
h-index Number of papers with at least h citations.
h5-index h-index for the last 5 complete years.
g-index Gives more weight to highly cited articles.
i10-index Number of publications with at least 10 citations.
3.2 Journal Metrics
Metric Description
JIF Journal Impact Factor (2-year citation window)
JIF Percentile Percentile rank within subject categories
CiteScore Citations over 4 years divided by documents published
SJR SCImago Journal Rank, prestige-weighted measure
SNIP Source Normalized Impact per Paper
Eigenfactor Measures overall journal influence in the scientific community
IIP Immediacy Index (citations in the same year as publication)
3.3 Altmetrics
• Measures online attention: social media, policy documents, blogs, etc.
• Tools: Altmetric.com, PlumX Metrics.
4. Publication Review Process
4.1 Steps
1. Manuscript Submission
2. Editorial Screening
3. Peer Review:
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4. Single-blind
5. Double-blind
6. Open review
7. Editorial Decision
8. Publication
4.2 Predatory Journals Red Flags
• Unrealistic publication promises.
• Lack of peer review.
• Misleading impact factors.
5. Citation Ethics
Ethical Issue Explanation
Self-citation Abuse Excessive citations to self, inflates metrics artificially.
Citation Stacking Reciprocal citations among journals to inflate impact factors.
Fake Citations Use of fabricated or irrelevant citations.
6. Funding Agencies
6.1 National Funding (India)
• UGC (University Grants Commission)
• ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research)
• DST (Department of Science and Technology)
• DBT (Department of Biotechnology)
• CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)
• ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)
6.2 International Funding
• NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA)
• ERC (European Research Council)
• Gates Foundation
• NSF (National Science Foundation, USA)
6.3 Role of Funding Agencies
• Providing financial support.
• Promoting research in priority areas.
• Supporting infrastructure and research dissemination.
7. Conclusion
• Choosing the right journal is crucial for impact.
• Understand the significance of citation metrics.
• Ethical publishing practices maintain research integrity.
• Funding aids in advancing research goals.
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Q&A Session - Address specific queries about metrics, databases, and journal selection.
