The growing computational power facilitates much demanded comparative and relative study of publication output, journal impact, and collaborative publications. This significant growth of data, its availability, and easy access has given rise to the range of metrics and indicators which are applied at different levels of research assessment. These indicators are available to measure the quality and impact of the research output at individual, institutional, or national level. The availability of these indicators has highlighted their application depending upon the aim and subject of assessment and evaluation of research.
TopDefinition
Various authors and researchers have defined bibliometrics in their own right. Some of them are given here:
Pritchard (1969) described it as
The application of mathematical and statistical methods to books and other media of communication.
Potter (1981), editor of renowned journal ‘Library Trends’ defined the term as
The study and measurement of the publication patterns of all forms of written communication and their authors.
While as, Broadus (1987) provides the following definition of Bibliometrics:
The quantitative study of physical published units, or of bibliographic units, or of surrogates of either.
White & McCain (1989) described it in following words