It is impossible to carry out a bibliometric analysis without using a counting method. For example, whether the authors contributing to a publication equally share 1 credit or receive 1 credit each. Changing the counting method will often change the score for an object of study (an author, an institution, a country, etc.). The bibliometric literature offers more than 30 counting methods. Some of them have been used for more than 100 years. At the same time new ones continue to be introduced.

This talk is based on the PhD thesis “Counting methods for publication indicators in bibliometrics” by Marianne Gauffriau. You will get an introduction to counting methods in bibliometrics and an overview of how they are constructed and used. The talk concludes with recommendations for working with counting methods.