This Book provides a practical, accessible pathway into the world of open bibliometric analysis. Grounded in the principles of open science and responsible metrics, this book equips researchers, librarians and institutions with the tools and methodologies to conduct transparent, reproducible and meaningful evaluations of scholarly literature.
The book covers the full lifecycle of a bibliometric study—from crafting research questions and constructing advanced search strategies in Scopus, to cleaning and structuring metadata, visualizing collaboration networks in VOSviewer, and performing statistical analyses in Biblioshiny. It explains how to apply PRISMA protocols in informetric workflows and how to explore co-authorship, citation, and keyword co-occurrence networks. Users are guided through creating thematic maps, trend analyses and conceptual structures with real data and workflows.
In addition to analysis, the book emphasizes reusability and interactivity by showing how to build bibliometric dashboards using Power BI, Tableau and RMarkdown. These dashboards can dynamically track citations, collaborations, and SDG-linked thematic clusters, making them invaluable for ongoing research evaluation.
The final chapters explore emerging directions—integrating altmetrics, applying machine learning for topic discovery, and advocating for a global, open informetric commons—while stressing ethical practices, transparency, and inclusivity. Whether for an early-career scholar or an institutional analyst, this book is both a step-by-step manual and a strategic resource for navigating the future of open bibliometrics.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1: Introduction to Open Bibliometrics
- Chapter 2: Getting Started with Scopus
- Chapter 3: VOSviewer: Visualizing Bibliometric Data
- Chapter 4: Biblioshiny: Interactive Bibliometric Analysis
- Chapter 5: Advanced Techniques and Applications
Objectives and Key Themes
This book aims to provide a practical, accessible guide to open bibliometrics, empowering researchers, educators, and librarians to conduct meaningful bibliometric analyses using open-source tools. It focuses on utilizing Scopus, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny to analyze scholarly literature.
- Introduction to open bibliometrics and its benefits
- Hands-on application of Scopus, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny
- Visualizing and interpreting bibliometric data
- Advanced techniques for bibliometric analysis
- Ethical considerations and open science principles
Chapter Summaries
Preface: This preface sets the stage by highlighting the importance of open bibliometrics in an era of exponentially expanding scholarly output. It emphasizes the need for transparent and accessible research evaluation methods, contrasting traditional, often opaque, commercial approaches with the open-source alternatives championed in the book. The authors underscore the democratizing potential of open bibliometrics, enabling researchers and institutions irrespective of resources to engage in robust analyses. The preface also clearly outlines the target audience—from early-career researchers to experienced librarians—highlighting the book's practical and inclusive approach. It concludes by emphasizing the book's commitment to open science principles and the accessibility of its methodologies.
Chapter 1: Introduction to Open Bibliometrics: This chapter lays the foundation for understanding open bibliometrics, differentiating it from traditional approaches. It explains the core principles of open science and how they relate to bibliometric analysis. The chapter delves into the benefits of using open-source tools and publicly available datasets, emphasizing the increased transparency, reproducibility, and equitable access they afford. It likely introduces the key tools – VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, and Bibliometrix – providing an overview of their functionalities and how they contribute to a comprehensive bibliometric workflow. The chapter likely concludes by motivating readers to embrace open bibliometrics as a powerful means of understanding and shaping the scholarly landscape.
Chapter 2: Getting Started with Scopus: This chapter provides a practical guide to using Scopus, a widely used bibliographic database. It likely details the process of searching, filtering, and exporting data from Scopus. It may cover different search strategies and techniques for refining results to ensure the data retrieved is relevant to the research question. The chapter might discuss effective methods for data cleaning and preparation, which is crucial before any analysis can be performed using other open-source tools. This sets the groundwork for the subsequent chapters, emphasizing the importance of data quality in producing meaningful bibliometric results.
Chapter 3: VOSviewer: Visualizing Bibliometric Data: This chapter focuses on the utilization of VOSviewer, a powerful tool for visualizing bibliometric data. It likely covers the steps involved in importing Scopus data into VOSviewer and creating various visualizations, such as co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence maps, and citation networks. The chapter likely delves into the interpretation of these visualizations, highlighting the insights they offer into research collaborations, thematic trends, and intellectual influence. Techniques for customizing visualizations for publication and presentation are probably also discussed. The chapter aims to equip readers with the skills to effectively use VOSviewer to communicate their bibliometric findings.
Chapter 4: Biblioshiny: Interactive Bibliometric Analysis: This chapter introduces Biblioshiny, an interactive platform built on the Bibliometrix R package. It explains how to use Biblioshiny to perform a range of analyses, including trend analysis, performance metrics calculations, and conceptual structure mapping. The chapter likely guides readers through the process of importing data, selecting parameters, interpreting the results, and using the interactive features of Biblioshiny to explore data in greater depth. The emphasis would be on applying Biblioshiny's capabilities to gain a more nuanced understanding of the analyzed data, going beyond simple visualizations to uncover underlying patterns and relationships.
Chapter 5: Advanced Techniques and Applications: This chapter likely covers more advanced topics and applications of open bibliometrics. It might delve into more sophisticated analytical techniques, exploring the use of bibliometric data for strategic decision-making in various contexts. This could include applications in research evaluation, policy-making, academic planning, and journal editorial decisions. Specific examples illustrating how to utilize open bibliometrics to address real-world research and institutional challenges are likely featured. The chapter might touch on the limitations and challenges associated with open bibliometrics and methods for mitigating them.
Keywords
Open bibliometrics, Scopus, VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, Bibliometrix, research evaluation, scientometrics, data visualization, open science, reproducible research, scholarly communication, academic performance, research impact, thematic analysis, collaboration networks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the "Language Preview" document about?
The "Language Preview" document provides an overview of a book focused on open bibliometrics. It includes the title, table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and a list of keywords.
What is open bibliometrics?
Open bibliometrics is an approach to bibliometric analysis that emphasizes the use of open-source tools and publicly available datasets to promote transparency, reproducibility, and equitable access in research evaluation.
What tools are highlighted in the book?
The book focuses on utilizing Scopus (a bibliographic database), VOSviewer (for visualizing bibliometric data), and Biblioshiny (an interactive bibliometric analysis platform) for conducting bibliometric analyses.
What are the key objectives of the book?
The book aims to provide a practical guide to open bibliometrics, empowering researchers, educators, and librarians to conduct meaningful analyses using open-source tools. It focuses on the hands-on application of Scopus, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny, as well as the visualization and interpretation of bibliometric data.
What are the main themes covered in the book?
The key themes include the introduction to open bibliometrics and its benefits, hands-on application of the featured tools, visualizing and interpreting data, advanced techniques for bibliometric analysis, ethical considerations, and open science principles.
What does the preface cover?
The preface emphasizes the importance of open bibliometrics in the context of expanding scholarly output. It contrasts traditional commercial approaches with open-source alternatives, highlighting the democratizing potential of open bibliometrics and the book's commitment to open science principles.
What is covered in the introductory chapter?
Chapter 1 lays the foundation for understanding open bibliometrics, differentiating it from traditional approaches. It explains the core principles of open science, the benefits of open-source tools, and provides an overview of VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, and Bibliometrix.
What does the chapter on Scopus cover?
Chapter 2 provides a practical guide to using Scopus for searching, filtering, and exporting data. It details search strategies, techniques for refining results, and methods for data cleaning and preparation.
What is VOSviewer used for, and what does the corresponding chapter cover?
VOSviewer is used for visualizing bibliometric data. The chapter covers importing data, creating visualizations (co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence maps, etc.), interpreting visualizations, and customizing visualizations for publication.
What is Biblioshiny, and what does the related chapter cover?
Biblioshiny is an interactive platform built on the Bibliometrix R package. The chapter explains how to use Biblioshiny to perform trend analysis, calculate performance metrics, and create conceptual structure mapping, guiding readers through the process of importing data, selecting parameters, and interpreting results.
What advanced topics are likely covered in the final chapter?
Chapter 5 likely covers advanced techniques and applications of open bibliometrics, including sophisticated analytical methods and the use of bibliometric data for strategic decision-making in various contexts (research evaluation, policy-making, academic planning, etc.). It may also address limitations and challenges.
What are some of the keywords associated with the book?
Keywords include: Open bibliometrics, Scopus, VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, Bibliometrix, research evaluation, scientometrics, data visualization, open science, reproducible research, scholarly communication, academic performance, research impact, thematic analysis, and collaboration networks.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Bikram Jit Singh (Author), Dr. Rippin Sehgal (Author), 2025, Open Bibliometrics in Action. A Hands On Guide Using Scopus, VOSviewer & Biblioshiny, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1602625
