Research topic
Report
Detailed summary
OpenAlex exhibits comparable reference and ORCID metadata completeness to Scopus and Web of Science, but often lags in affiliation and abstract data completeness [1, 2, 3].
- References and ORCID Coverage: OpenAlex has reference numbers on par with Web of Science and Scopus and excels in capturing ORCID identifiers [2, 3].
- Metadata Limitations: It frequently underperforms in affiliation completeness and providing fewer abstracts compared to its proprietary counterparts [1, 2].
- Geographic and Thematic Insights: Coverage is particularly extensive in specific regions like Africa, but issues persist in certain metadata areas such as affiliations and funding information [1].
- Strengths as an Open Alternative: Despite some limitations, OpenAlex is evaluated as a viable, open alternative for bibliometric analyses, offering community-driven potential for data enrichment [2, 3].
- Empirical Evidence Robustness: Studies employing large datasets and direct comparisons with other databases provide reliable insights into OpenAlex's metadata performance, though further refinement is needed for broader research applications [2, 3].
Categories of papers
Here is a categorization of the references based on their relevance and content concerning the comparison of metadata completeness and accuracy of OpenAlex with other citation indexes:
Empirical Comparisons of Metadata Completeness and Accuracy- Focus on direct empirical comparisons between OpenAlex and other databases (like Scopus and Web of Science) regarding references, citations, affiliations, and abstracts.
- References: [1, 2, 3]
- Details: [1] examines coverage for African publications, revealing weaknesses in affiliations and references; [2] compares reference counts and abstracts, highlighting discrepancies in metadata; [3] evaluates OpenAlex's suitability for bibliometrics, noting discrepancies in references and affiliation data.
- Studies assessing metadata completeness in multiple scholarly databases, including OpenAlex, without specific focus on references, citations, or affiliations.
- References: [6, 7, 8]
- Details: [6] analyzes metadata completeness across eight databases, noting OpenAlex’s quality; [7, 8] discuss OpenAlex’s abstract completeness and general bibliographic data integration.
- Focus on specific metadata elements, such as linguistic coverage or migration events, which may touch on OpenAlex but do not comprehensively compare metadata completeness and accuracy.
- References: [4, 5, 10]
- Details: [4] uses OpenAlex data for missing citation detection in WoS; [5] compares scholar migration tracking via author affiliations, noting higher precision in Scopus; [10] examines linguistic representation in OpenAlex compared to WoS.
- Discusses technical methodologies for data retrieval and handling but does not focus on empirical metadata completeness comparisons.
- References: [12]
- Details: [12] details API usage for data retrieval from OpenAlex and Scopus, emphasizing process over comparative analysis of metadata elements.
- Provides contextual background on OpenAlex and its integration or historical data aspects, without a direct current comparison with other citation indexes regarding metadata elements.
- References: [11, 9]
- Details: [11] compares OpenAlex with Microsoft Academic Graph's legacy; [9] compares document types without focusing on core metadata completeness.
These categories and references together give an overview of the current landscape of research focused on evaluating OpenAlex's metadata quality compared to other traditional citation databases, differentiating empirical analyses from more general or methodological discussions.
Timeline and citation network
Here's a concise summary of the timeline and development of ideas and research in the literature related to OpenAlex's metadata completeness and accuracy compared with other citation indexes:
Historical Development of Ideas:- Early Comparisons and Data Transfer (2022): Initial studies, such as the comparison of OpenAlex with Microsoft Academic Graph [11], focused on the transition and data integration into OpenAlex, setting the stage for evaluating its potential as a bibliometric tool.
- Emergence of Empirical Analyses (2023): The focus shifted to more systematic evaluations of metadata completeness and accuracy. Studies began to empirically assess specific metadata elements like references and affiliations, often noting both strengths in openness and weaknesses in data elements [4, 5].
- Focused Comparative Studies (2024): Recent research has enhanced the focus on direct comparisons with proprietary databases like Scopus and Web of Science across diverse aspects like ORCID identifiers and abstract availability [1, 2, 3]. These studies provide detailed insights into metadata strengths and areas needing improvement.
- Mayr and Collaborators (2024): Philipp Mayr and colleagues have been pivotal in advancing the empirical analysis of OpenAlex by comparing its metadata attributes with those of traditional databases, contributing significantly to understanding OpenAlex's position in scholarly data management [2, 9].
- Delgado-Quirós and Ortega (2023-2024): This duo has consistently focused on metadata completeness across multiple scholarly databases, contributing to understanding general trends and challenges in OpenAlex's metadata coverage [6, 7].
In essence, the research has evolved from foundational evaluations of data integration and migration to more acute empirical comparisons, driven by key researchers and robust datasets, which collectively enhance the understanding of OpenAlex's utility and potential improvements.