Online Research Visibility of Chemistry Academicians in Central Universities of India: An Analysis of Google Scholar Profiles

This study aims to evaluate the scholarly contributions of chemistry faculty members at Central Universities in India by examining their Google Scholar citation profiles. The data was gathered through manual searches of Google Scholar profiles using content analysis method, based on faculty members’ names and affiliations. A review of 56 central university websites revealed that only 38 universities offer Chemistry as a subject. Of the 493 faculty members identified, 398 had active Google Scholar profiles. The study revealed that the 398 faculty members have collectively produced approximately 43,526 publications and received 842,859 citations. It was observed that approximately 100 faculty members were not present on the platform. Regular updates of publication lists, including works in edited books and conference proceedings, are essential to ensure their work is accessible to others. Notably, faculty members must regularly review their Google Scholar profiles for incorrectly attributed publications, which may arise from automated name-matching algorithms, particularly in cases of common names or variations in name representation. Such issues are not unique to India and have been reported across different countries and linguistic contexts, underscoring the need for careful profile maintenance. The findings provide valuable insights that can help academic institutions and chemical researchers in India and other countries enhance the quality, visibility, and impact of their research activities, as well as foster meaningful collaboration. The study highlights the role of academic librarians in enhancing faculty research visibility by creating and maintaining accurate metadata, managing and updating researcher profiles, and facilitating the linking of institutional repositories with ORCID systems.