Bibliometrics
Bibliometrics is an information science utilizing a set of methods such as citation analysis to study scientific publication patterns and impact.
Citation analysis and other bibliometric methods are used for a number of practical purposes within the scientific community. However, the main reason for the growing interest in bibliometrics in later years is the increasing role that these methods tend to play in the evaluation of scientific institutions, in the tenure process within universities and in the funding of science and universities.