title: Fair assessment of the merits of psychiatric research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of bibliometric assessments of research quality is growing worldwide. So far, a narrow range of metrics have been applied across the whole of biomedical research. Without specific sets of metrics, appropriate to each sub-field of research, biased assessments of research excellence are possible.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the measures used to evaluate the merits of psychiatric biomedical research, and to propose a new approach using a multidimensional selection of metrics appropriate to each particular field of medical research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three steps: (a) a definition of scientific 'domains', (b) translating these into 'filters' to identify publications from bibliometric databases, leading to (c) the creation of standardised measures of merit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We propose using: (a) established metrics such as impact factors and citation indices, (b) new derived measures such as the 'worldscale' score, and (c) new indicators based on journal peer esteem, impact on clinical practice, medical education and health policy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No single index or metric can be used as a fair rating to compare nations, universities, research groups, or individual investigators across biomedical science. Rather, we propose using a multidimensional profile composed of a carefully selected array of such metrics.
authors.affiliation: Evaluametrics Ltd., Kew, Richmond, Surrey and School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College London, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lewison
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thornicroft
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szmukler
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tansella
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification; D011786:Quality Control