The paper considers the current state of scientometrics, in methodological context, as a branch of the discipline "science of science". They are discussed: its fields of study /science by itself in epistemological sense -its general system development, disciplinary structure and interrelations, research front dynamics, etc.; the process of scientific knowledge productionquantitative characteristics of the research potential, communications in science, research productivity, evaluation of

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... sts and research institutions, research collaboration, a structure of research communities and networks, etc.; and the macro-environment of scientific researchscience policy, innovation processes, globalization/; the wider thematic scope of scientometrics, including monitoring of research production, assessment of scientific contributions, dynamical studies of science /in cognitive and social aspect/, revealing emerging research problems, determining of research elites, modelling of science processes and phenomena, study of science-industry relations, etc.; the specific research instruments, objects /and indicators, related to them -"input" and "output" ones/, the empirical basis, and explanatory abilities of scientometrics. Some classifications of scientometric methods are also introduced. Further, the methodological peculiarities, limitations, and problems of scientometric research are presented, such as multi-factorial dependence, permanent rearrangements of the factors, subjectivity of the measuring results, non-additivity of the empirical data, availability of two types of variables -indicators and latent variables, theoretical importance of the empirical indicators, etc. The interrelations and interactions between scientometrics and other research disciplines /as sociology of science, information sciences, philosophy of science, economics, linguistics, etc./ are also considered in the paper. Some modern tendencies in scientometric studies are highlighted, too. At the end, the conclusion is made, that the scientometrics becomes an especially perspect-ive part of the general "science of science", and a powerful tool of the research and innovation policy.