Bibliometric indicators at the micro-level: Some results in the area of natural resources at the Spanish CSIC

This analysis is based on the international database Science Citation Index and the Spanish database ICYT combined. A total of 3,302 SCI and 1,183 ICYT publications were identified during 1994-2001 for the 333 permanent scientists analysed. The scientific performance of scientists was studied through different indicators related to: activity (SCI and ICYT productivity), expected impact (average impact of publications, percentage of documents in top journals), observed impact (number of citations per document, number of highly cited papers) and publication habits. Only 3% of the scientists did not show any publication in the period. An increase in international productivity is observed while national productivity tends to decrease over time. Research professors (the highest professional category at CSIC) show higher productivity and observed impact than the remaining categories. However, a collective of scientists from different professional categories with a selective publication strategy towards high-quality journals and rewarded with a high number of citations is identified. Main advantages and limitations in obtaining indicators at the micro-level are outlined.