From the Science Citation Index to the Journal Impact Factor and Web of Science: Interview with Eugene Garfield

Abstract

When creating the Science Citation Index (SCI), Eugene Garfield could not have foreseen its enormous impact his innovative ideas would have on science in decades to come. The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) he founded became a hotbed for developing new innovative information products that led to what we now know as Web of Science, Essential Science ­Indicators, and Journal Citation Reports. In his interview, Eugene Garfield talks about how he came to the idea of using citations to manage the scientific literature. He also shares his views on the (mis)use of the Journal Impact Factor in evaluating individual researchers’ work, the importance of ethical standards in scientific publishing, and the future of peer review and scholarly publishing.