Impact of a reclassification of Web of Science articles on bibliometric indicators

Abstract This work aims at evaluating a reclassification of Web of Science articles implemented at the Science and Technology Observatory (OST). Articles from the 254 scientific categories of the Web of Science were reclassified at article level in 242 modified categories and 11 disciplines using the method of Milojević (2020). The reclassification is based on paper reference categories and it no longer assigns papers to multiple or multidisciplinary categories. It improves the accuracy and the modularity of the WoS classification. As there are important changes in document assignment at the lowest level, the usual indicators, such as disciplinary profiles or field normalized indicators, are significantly modified. This study examines some of these modifications to provide explanations for the recipients of OST reports. Changes in specialization indexes reveal specific journal choices by scientists. In a sample of 25 countries, Brazil and China offer examples of facilities or constraints for selecting WoS journals to publish certain research works.