A measure for the impact of research

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new research impact measure that shifts focus from quantity to quality, aiming for a fairer evaluation of scientific contributions at individual and institutional levels.

Contribution

It proposes a novel impact measure that de-emphasizes productivity and emphasizes scientific impact, extending from manuscripts to researchers and institutions.

Findings

The measure reduces emphasis on publication count.

It provides a more impact-focused evaluation framework.

Applicable to manuscripts, researchers, and institutions.

Abstract

The last few years have seen the proliferation of measures that quantify the scientific output of researches. Yet, these measures focus on productivity, thus fostering the "publish or perish" paradigm. This article proposes a measure that aims at quantifying the impact of research de-emphasizing productivity, thus providing scientists an alternative, conceivably fairer, evaluation of their work. Emphasis is placed on the scientist rather than on quantities that can grow unbounded. The measure, defined initially for manuscripts, is then extended to researchers and institutions.