How can bibliometrics take account of new and emerging areas of research that don have established journals or fields?
Any paper within the Thomson Scientific Web of Science (WoS) database can be counted, and will be normalised on the basis of the field in which it was published. Although this may not immediately reflect a new area of research, it can be expected that relevant journals will emerge or adapt as new areas of research become more established. The WoS system is responsive to such developments; the inclusion and exclusion of journals are under regular review, and the ‘field’ categories are reviewed and updated when necessary.
