ABSTRACT:
The volume collects contributions of experts on the subject of science evaluation, centred onto basic science. The first chapter deals with general aspects of citation, peer review and bibliometrics. The second chapter deals with mapping scientific communication using the best diffused bibliometrical methods: co-citation, co-word, co-classification, co-nomination and aggregate journal-journal citations. Lastly, the third chapter deals with peer review as internal communication regulation and self-evaluation instrument, with its recent implementations. Each chapter has an introductory paper in which I focus some key questions and open problems pertinent. The first one deals with general criteria and methodological problems of evaluating science. In the second, I note the critical points of each bibliometrical methods, showing also the role of bibliometrics for measuring knowledge diffusion and innovation. In the last one, I stress the key role of internal communication in history and sociology of science.
