Abstract

In the most recent edition of Google Scholar Metrics (2012-2016) there was an abrupt drop in the number of Spanish scientific journals; the total was 1,101 in the 2011-2015 edition but fell to 599 in the 2012-2016 edition. We conducted an analysis by discipline in order to find which journals were affected. After considering several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon, we conclude the main cause was the sudden disappearance of the Spanish bibliographic database Dialnet from Google Scholar. Because Dialnet is the only online source that provides information about an important number of Spanish journals (which do not have any other online exposure), being dropped by Google Scholar meant that all these Spanish journals, which had previously been indexed in Google Scholar Metrics, became suddenly invisible.

Abstract

The lack of an integrated information policy for scientific activity evaluation has led to a wide range of information products and services that are used for such purposes, although they were not originally designed for that. While it is true that these tools have limitations and deficiencies, and in several cases are technologically and methodologically obsolete, possibly the biggest problem is sustainability in the present times of economic crisis, especially if they do not take on new strategic tasks, such as assessment, which is a priority today. Various products are reviewed in this critical essay: scientific journal portals, with the recommendation to implement value added systems like SciELO instead of simple database management; current databases on offer, with questions about having national products without metrics; institutional repositories, with the observation that they have forgotten to serve authors, their real end users; and institutional ranking systems, suggesting that some have not learned from the successes of those based on composite indicators. Recommendations include institutional coordination of services; professionalism versus incompetence; and an end to the economic drain caused both by licensing underused databases and by maintaining outdated policies based on criteria that have been abandoned at the international level.

Abstract

Social and human sciences are underrepresented in the international databases. This imbalance is accentuated when the articles are written in Spanish, making it difficult to carry out an evaluation of the scientific production in the Spanish language. This article provides a brief description of the Dialnet database, and of the tools that have been developed to give greater prominence to the author / researcher, which can greatly alleviate the aforementioned lack of visibility. A proposal is made to create a National CRIS (current research information system) based on the existing information in Spanish universities and in Dialnet. Finally, the upcoming launch is reported of a wizard integrated into a single platform that will provide quantitative and qualitative data about researchers’ publications in any language. The author considers it essential that the important and invaluable collaboration of institutions participating in Dialnet –for fourteen years now- continues, and desirable that new institutions join in this effort.