Research evaluation and citation analysis: key issues and implications

Purpose – Citation and ranking information are becoming key aspects of knowledge management in academic and research institutions. By examining changing user needs and products, this paper aims to encourage information professionals to better understand and manage these resources and better respond to user needs. Design/methodology/approach – Literature reviews, work with faculty clients and initial product testing are used to present coherent information on the current climate and practice of competitive analysis of researchers and their institutions. Findings – As more sources for citation information have become available – even many scholarly databases today offering cited reference data – the need to identify, access and manage these resources is becoming acute. Information professionals need to become more proactive in their strategies to support these applications and users. Originality/value – This article builds on previous analyses of the roles and nature of citation analysis in research institutions and examines potential new roles and contributions that information professionals can take on to better serve their users.