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Research Methodologies Guide

A collection of resources describing research methods in the social sciences and the humanities

Bibliometrics

Bibliometric research is defined by the OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms as: 

"The statistical analysis of books, articles, or other publications...  to measure the “output” of individuals/research teams, institutions, and countries, to identify national and international networks, and to map the development of new (multi-disciplinary) fields of science and technology."

You can use bibliometrics to:

  • analyze trends in an individual or field of study's research
  • provide evidence for the impact of an individual or field of study's research
  • find new and emerging areas of research
  • identify potential research collaborators
  • identify suitable sources in which to publish

For information on bibliometrics used to distinguish the quality of a researcher's work see our guide on Documenting Impact and Increasing Visibility

Where to Start

Below, a few tools and online guides that can help you start your Bibliometric research are listed. 

Additional Resources