سخن سردبیر(علم‌سنجی: ضرورتی بنیادین برای توسعه علم و فناوری در کشور)

Understanding the capabilities of scientometrics to support policies for the development of science and technology is the most important point that has provided the necessary grounds for the emergence and development of scientometrics at the micro and macro levels. These capabilities, in order to evaluate science and technology, have not only led to the recognition of more knowledge and the presentation of various methods and models, but also from a practical point of view are to evaluate and rank the factors affecting the development of science and technology in the form of systems. Undoubtedly, the development of scientometrics as a science, more than anything else, can be attributed to the efforts of thinkers who work in this field and increase the foundations and applications of this science day by day. The use of scientometric indicators through powerful systems such as ISC, Scopus, ISI and the like can be considered as manifestations of the impressionability of science and technology assessment systems in this field.
The establishment of formal scientometrics courses at prestigious universities around the world and in Iran to support science policy on scientific authority in this field is another sign of the scientific community's consensus. It is necessary to be optimistic about the emergence of this field in Iran and to attract students for the master's degree program in this field from 1390, and to consider it as another step towards the scientific development of the country. The topics of the master's degree program for the first time in the country were proposed to the Higher Education Planning Committee of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology in 2009 by the Department of Information Science of Shahed University. The committee, after nearly a year of continuous expert review and making some changes, finally approved these topics on May 4, 2010, and through the national entrance exam for Shahed and Tehran universities since 1390 and Yazd University and Regional Information Center for Science and Technology in the following years issued a student admission permit. The growing enthusiasm of research departments in the country, especially in ministries such as science, research and technology, and Ministry of Health and Medical Education; Organizations such as the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, and Regional Information Center for Science and Technology, as well as the Vice Chancellors for Research and Technology of Universities and Higher Education Institutions, caused that many graduates have been attracted in the labor market to do the specialized work of scientometrics, which shows the correct diagnosis of the approvers and founders of the establishment of this field in the country. However, it is hoped that the higher education mechanisms of universities in the field of scientometrics will be trained in such a way that qualified specialists will be trained to maintain and strengthen their prominent and reliable position in the country's science and technology policy and planning institutions. Because any shortcoming in this field may lead to irreparable damage in this field.
Today, to provide the necessary conditions for the development and transfer of knowledge among experts in this field, the existence of mechanisms such as scientific journals is a necessity. Therefore, one of the most important concerns of the Department of Information Science at Shahed University from the very beginning of its establishment was the publication of a specialized journal in the field of scientometrics that can convey the current language of experts in this field and strengthen the link between this scientific communities. Thus, the proposal to publish the journal "Scientometrics Journal" was submitted to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and was welcomed by the country's publishing commission. Although the field of knowledge and information science has several scientific-research journals in Persian and English languages, in which a number of articles in the field of scientometrics have been published for a long time, depending on the nature and purpose of these journals, now given the current needs, and especially with the establishment of scientometric courses in the country's universities and educational and research institutes, the publication of a journal that directly addresses this issue of scientific importance seems to be even more necessary.
The first issue of this magazine is now available to dear readers. It is worth mentioning that choosing these articles from among the many articles received in the field of scientometrics was a difficult task. But in the end, relying on the opinions of the esteemed reviewers and also based on the journal's policy, this was made possible and each of the articles (in this issue) after 2 or 3 stages of peer-reviewing based on the policies of the editorial board and in accordance with the scientific criteria and principles were selected and put on the agenda for publication. We hope that with the continuous participation of the large family of scientometrics, we will witness more and more enrichment for this field and also this magazine in the country.