Webometrics refers to the quantitative study of web-related phenomena, utilizing techniques from bibliometrics and scientometrics to understand the World Wide Web as a major source of information (Thelwall, Vaughan & Björneborn, 2005). With the growth of the web, researchers began applying traditional methodologies to analyze this new form of communication.
Definition of Webometrics
Björneborn and Ingwersen (2004) define webometrics as the study of the quantitative aspects of the creation and use of information resources and technologies on the web, relying on bibliometric and informetric methods. Mike Thelwall, a pioneer in the field, defines webometrics as the study of web-based content using quantitative methods for social science research (Thelwall, 2009). This definition aims to broaden the use of webometrics beyond library and information science, making it accessible to the wider social sciences.
Web Impact Factor (WIF)
Ingewersen (1998) introduced the Web Impact Factor (WIF), similar to the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in Web of Science (WoS), to assess websites. WIF measures the number of external links a website receives, divided by the number of pages on that site accessible to web crawlers, thus helping webometrics establish itself as a method for analyzing the web.
Key Areas of Webometrics
Thelwall has identified several key areas within webometrics (Thelwall, 2009, 2012):
- Link Analysis: This area focuses on studying hyperlinks between web pages, much like traditional bibliometric studies analyze citations. Link analysis helps identify popular websites, their structure, and connections, aiding research in academic web spaces. Tools like SocSciBot simplify the process, and major studies, such as Kousha’s 2005 overview of webometrics and scholarly communications, have explored this field. A notable application is the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, which assesses the web presence of academic institutions through link analysis.
- Web Citation Analysis: Web citation analysis counts online citations of published works, expanding traditional citation methods by finding web-based references, especially in open access journals. Tools like Google Scholar have accelerated research in this area, and studies by Kousha and Thelwall (2005, 2007) demonstrate how web citations correlate with traditional citation databases.
- Search Engine Evaluation: Webometricians also study the performance of search engines, evaluating their web coverage and the reliability of their results. However, it’s known that search engines index only a fraction of the web (Metayer, 2010), and concerns about the accuracy of data from engines like Yahoo and Bing have been raised (Bar-Ilan, 2004; Kousha, 2005). Advances in web crawling and APIs now allow for more robust research across the social sciences.
- Web Data Analysis or Measuring Web 2.0: As the web evolved, webometrics expanded its scope to include social sciences beyond library and information science. The availability of web crawlers and APIs enables researchers to gather and analyze large datasets. Recent work by Thelwall and colleagues (Sugimoto & Thelwall, 2013; Kousha, Thelwall & Abdoli, 2012) has applied webometrics to fields outside of its traditional domains.
Webometrics and Web Impact Factor MCQs with Answer
1. What is the focus of webometrics?
A. The study of online shopping trends
B. The quantitative study of web-related phenomena
C. Social media marketing research
D. Analysis of printed books
Answer: B
2. Who are the authors associated with defining webometrics in 2005?
A. Vaughan, Ingewersen & Kousha
B. Björneborn, Vaughan & Shaw
C. Thelwall, Vaughan & Björneborn
D. Sugimoto, Vaughan & Shaw
Answer: C
3. According to Björneborn & Ingwersen (2004), what does webometrics study?
A. Offline marketing strategies
B. Quantitative aspects of information resources, structures, and technologies on the web
C. The usability of mobile applications
D. Search engine optimization techniques
Answer: B
4. Mike Thelwall’s definition of webometrics emphasizes what research method?
A. Qualitative analysis of web content
B. Quantitative methods for social science research goals
C. Focus group research
D. Experimental studies in computer science
Answer: B
5. What concept introduced by Ingewersen in 1998 is similar to the Web of Science’s Journal Impact Factor (JIF)?
A. Web Page Factor (WPF)
B. Web Impact Factor (WIF)
C. Social Media Impact Factor (SMIF)
D. Web Citation Index (WCI)
Answer: B
6. How is the Web Impact Factor (WIF) calculated?
A. Number of website visitors divided by unique page views
B. Number of web pages receiving links divided by the number of accessible web pages
C. Total number of backlinks a website receives
D. Amount of time users spend on a website
Answer: B
7. Which of the following is a key area of webometrics identified by Thelwall?
A. User interface design
B. Online advertising
C. Link Analysis
D. Cloud computing analysis
Answer: C
8. What is Link Analysis in webometrics?
A. Analysis of website visitor data
B. Quantitative study of hyperlinks between web pages
C. Qualitative research of social networks
D. Text analysis of academic papers
Answer: B
9. Which web crawling tool introduced by the Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group is used for Link Analysis?
A. PageRank
B. SocSciBot
C. WebCrawler Pro
D. Spiderweb
Answer: B
10. The ‘Webometrics Ranking of World Universities’ is an example of which webometric technique?
A. Web Data Analysis
B. Web Citation Analysis
C. Link Analysis
D. Search Engine Evaluation
Answer: C
11. What does Web Citation Analysis involve?
A. Analyzing printed citations in books
B. Counting online citations to published items like journal articles
C. Evaluating the design of websites**
D. Measuring website traffic
Answer: B
12. According to Vaughan and Shaw (2003), what correlation was found in Web Citation Analysis?
A. A link between web design and user retention
B. A correlation between citations found in traditional bibliographic databases and those found online
C. A relation between social media presence and citation counts**
D. No significant correlation was found
Answer: B
13. Which tool has contributed to the growth of Web Citation Analysis by making it easier to find citations?
A. Google Books
B. Google Scholar
C. Wikipedia
D. Bing
Answer: B
14. What percentage of web content is estimated to remain unindexed by search engines, according to Metayer (2010)?
A. 30%
B. 50%
C. 70%
D. 90%
Answer: C
15. Why was the early use of search engines like Alta Vista significant in webometric research?
A. They had the best user interface
B. They provided advanced link search commands
C. They had the largest databases
D. They were the first to analyze social media
Answer: B
16. What role do Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) play in webometrics?
A. They block access to web data
B. They enable webometric researchers to extract large amounts of data from websites
C. They improve website design**
D. They are used for encrypting web traffic
Answer: B
17. How has webometrics expanded its scope beyond library and information science?
A. By focusing only on academic websites
B. By applying its techniques to social sciences and studying broader web phenomena
C. By ignoring academic research**
D. By developing tools for web developers only
Answer: B
18. Which key area of webometrics involves assessing the accuracy and coverage of search engine results?
A. Web Data Analysis
B. Web Citation Analysis
C. Link Analysis
D. Search Engine Evaluation
Answer: D
19. What is the challenge highlighted in the validity and reliability of search engine data for webometrics?
A. Search engines cannot crawl academic websites
B. Commercial search engines provide inconsistent data
C. All search engines use the same algorithms
D. Search engines no longer exist
Answer: B
20. Measuring Web 2.0 is a key area in webometrics. What does it involve?
A. The analysis of printed publications
B. Evaluating interactive web platforms and social media
C. Creating websites for academic use
D. Studying traditional citation databases
Answer: B
Conclusion
Webometrics has evolved into a vital tool for research beyond library science, now extensively used to study web data and phenomena across social sciences. As the web continues to grow, webometrics will play a key role in understanding its complexities and impacts.
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