@article{sinay_sinay_carter_martins_2019,
title={Reflections about Garfield's algorithm},
volume={ahead-of-print},
DOI={10.1108/rausp-05-2019-0079},
abstractNote={
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the influence of the algorithm used on scholarly search engines (Garfield's algorithm) and propose metrics to improve it so that science could be based on a more democratic way.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used a snow-ball approach to collect data that allowed identifying the history and the logic behind the Garfield's algorithm. It follows on excerpting the foundation of existing algorithm and databases of major scholarly search engine. It concluded proposing new metrics so as to surpass restraints and to democratize the scientific discourse.
Findings
This paper finds that the studied algorithm currently biases the scientific discourse toward a narrow perspective, while it should take into consideration several researchers' characteristics. It proposes the substitution of the h-index by the number of times the scholar's most cited work has been cited. Finally, it proposes that works in languages different than English should be included.
Research limitations/implications
The broad comprehension of any phenomena should be based on multiple perspectives; therefore, the inclusion of diverse metrics will extend the scientific discourse.
Practical implications
The improvement of the existing algorithm will increase the chances of contact among different cultures, which stimulate rapid progress on the development of knowledge.
Originality/value
The value of this paper resides in demonstrating that the algorithm used in scholarly search engines biases the development of science. If updated as proposed here, science will be unbiased and bias aware.
},
number={ahead-of-print},
publisher={Emerald},
author={Sinay, Laura and Sinay, Maria Cristina Fogliatti de and Carter, Rodney William (Bill) and Martins, Aurea},
year={2019},
month={Sep}
}