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As researchers, research institutes and universities face increasing financial stringency, the search is on for adequate parameters by which their performance can be evaluated. There are now a number of performance indicators which may be claimed to fill this role.

Until a relatively short time ago, the only index of the activity of a research worker was his or her curriculum vitae and, in particular, the level of published output. This appears to be a relatively unbiased system. A criticism may be levelled, however, that it doesn't say anything about the quality of the published work. But in these days, when journals are under pressure from anxious authors who need to get their material published, it is necessary for editorial scrutiny to include an element of value judgement. No journal publishes papers simply because the referees can find no serious objection to the way in which experiments appear to have