Bibliometrics and scientometrics: Evaluating the research

The evaluation of research performance is essential to check the productivity, visibility, and quality of research. In the past, recognition in the peer group was limited due to the print format of the journal articles and conference proceedings etc. The advent of web technology has drastically changed the platform of research exchange worldwide. The research communications have greater reliability on online databases for the search of the academic literature. The all-time availability of the literature in bibliographic databases, have an immense impact on the individual researcher, journal, and the institution. Oxford Dictionary defines impact as "the effect or influence of one person, thing, or action, on another". Therefore, the assessment of research is the need of the hour, to know how an individual researcher is contributing to the field of his/her interest and what the level of one's productivity is. The present communication discusses the various tools and databases that have emerged to assess the impact of a research/ researcher in recent times.