Eugene Garfield

Eugene Garfield (1925-2017) was an American linguist and information scientist who revolutionized scientific citation indexing and bibliometrics. He founded the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and created the Science Citation Index (SCI), which transformed how researchers track and measure scientific influence. Garfield developed the concept of impact factor, a metric that measures the frequency with which journal articles are cited in scientific literature. His work laid the foundation for modern citation analysis and scientometrics, establishing systematic ways to map the relationships between scientific papers and track the evolution of research fields. His innovations in information retrieval systems helped establish the field of bibliometrics and led to the development of Web of Science, a major academic citation indexing service. Garfield's methodologies for analyzing scientific literature continue to influence how academic impact is measured and how research trends are identified. Beyond his technical contributions, Garfield was a prolific writer who authored numerous books and papers about information science, and served as the founder and editor of The Scientist, a magazine focused on the professional aspects of scientific research. His work earned him multiple honorary degrees and awards, including the John Price Wetherill Medal from the Franklin Institute.

Readers consistently highlight Garfield's clear explanations of complex citation analysis concepts. His writing style makes technical information accessible to both scientists and information professionals. What readers liked: - Practical examples that demonstrate citation tracking methods - Historical context for the development of citation indexing - Detailed explanations of impact factor calculations - Personal anecdotes about creating the Science Citation Index What readers disliked: - Some papers and books feel dated in the internet era - Technical language can be dense for non-specialist readers - Limited coverage of alternative metrics beyond impact factor - Repetition of key concepts across different works Ratings from academic review sites: - Citation Indexing (book): 4.1/5 on Goodreads (42 ratings) - Essays of an Information Scientist: 3.9/5 on Goodreads (28 ratings) - "The History and Meaning of the Journal Impact Factor" (paper): Cited over 2,000 times according to Google Scholar As one Goodreads reviewer noted: "Garfield writes with authority but never talks down to readers. His work remains relevant for understanding how scientific impact is measured."

Citation Indexing: Its Theory and Application in Science, Technology, and Humanities (1979) Explains the fundamental principles and practical applications of citation indexing in academic research and scientific literature.

Essays of an Information Scientist (1977-1993, 15 volumes) A compilation of weekly columns discussing various aspects of scientific communication, citation analysis, and information science.

The Scientists' Institute for Public Information (1967) Examines the role of scientific information in public discourse and policy-making processes.

Contemporary Classics in the Life Sciences (1986) Analyzes highly-cited papers in life sciences and includes commentary from the original authors about their research.

Journal Citation Reports: A Bibliometric Analysis of References (1975) Presents methodologies and findings related to journal impact measurement and citation patterns in scientific literature.

Transliterated Dictionary of the Russian Language (1979) Provides English speakers with transliterated Russian scientific and technical terms commonly found in academic literature.

Derek de Solla Price studied quantitative analysis of scientific literature and developed theories about citation networks that built on Garfield's work. He pioneered the field of scientometrics and wrote about the exponential growth of scientific information.

Henry Small developed co-citation analysis methods and worked with Garfield at ISI on citation mapping techniques. He advanced bibliometric methods for visualizing scientific domains and knowledge structures.

Blaise Cronin researched citation behavior and scholarly communication patterns in scientific literature. He explored the social dimensions of citation practices and wrote extensively about information science metrics.

Howard White investigated co-citation patterns and author identities in scientific literature databases. He collaborated with Garfield at ISI and developed methods for analyzing bibliometric networks.

Francis Narin created quantitative indicators for evaluating research performance and impact through citation analysis. He applied bibliometric techniques to assess technological innovation and knowledge flows between science and industry.