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Rethinking bibliometric data concerning gender studies: a response to Söderlund and Madison

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Abstract

Comment to the article ‘Characteristics of gender studies publications: A bibliometric analysis based on a Swedish population database’ by Therese Söderlund and Guy Madison (Scientometrics, 2015). From the position of relevant expertise within gender studies and bibliometrics, this text offers a critique of the present study and some suggestions of alternative ways forward. It analyses (1) the object of study of the article (the terms used to denominate the field, keywords and methods to make sample selection), (2) technical issues and the question of language in relation to international citations and impact factor, and (3) the views presented in the article regarding gender studies and political ideology.

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Notes

  1. Our university was among those rewarded funding from the Swedish Research Council to establish a Centre of Gender Excellence (Linköping together with Örebro University) for the period 2007-2011 (SEK 27 million in total during the five-year period).

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Correspondence to Silje Lundgren.

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Lundgren, S., Shildrick, M. & Lawrence, D. Rethinking bibliometric data concerning gender studies: a response to Söderlund and Madison. Scientometrics 105, 1389–1398 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1767-3

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