HUM-MOLGEN archive: ETHI: citation counting

From: IN%"cgaetano@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk" "Carlo Gaetano" 8-OCT-1995 10:50:08.76 Sir, I subscribed to this news group 24 hours ago. My first impression about arguments discussed, general contents, and information accessible is extremely positive. In particular I liked the number and the quality of the journ als you are connected with. I read with interest the editorial from Carlo Gambacorti about the difficult process of generating good translational research. I think and would like to suggest that hot-arguments like funding policy, research quality, rising publication costs, and last but not least criteria for judgement of scien tific production will be more often discussed. I can enter a question by myself as starting contribution ( if anyone is interes ted!!): What are the Editors" opinions (and other people's) about the increasing importance that journal citation indices, paper citations number, and impact factors, may have on science (and scientists too)? Does the objective evaluation introduced by using such mathematical criteria risk jeopardizing the introduction of novel slow growing scientific ideas? Have my best regards Carlo Gaetano Cell&Molecular Genetics Section National Cancer Institute Bethesda (MD), USA.