Elvira González-Salmón makes her debut at ESSS with presentation on ChatGPT in Scientometrics

Elvira González-Salmón during her presentation at ESSS.

Two weeks ago, our colleagues: Nicolás Robinson and Elvira González participated in the European Summer School for Scientometrics (ESSS), where U^CHASS is a partner. This summer school, which is held every year at different European universities, has become a key meeting point for researchers and specialists in the field of scientometrics.

This year, the event took place at the University of Vienna (here you can view the program), where researchers from across Europe gathered to exchange ideas on tools, approaches, and new research directions. The director of U^CHASS participated on the opening day with an introductory course on bibliometric data sources, followed the next day by a presentation on altmetrics and open science. However, the highlight was our colleague Elvira’s debut at ESSS, where she presented a paper by Daniel Torres-Salinas, Wenceslao Arroyo, and Mike Thelwall on the use of ChatGPT in scientometric research. But it’s best if she herself tells us about her experience. Here is her chronicle:

Two years ago I attended my first European Summer School for Scientometrics as a student that had just started to learn what bibliometrics were, and who was starting to think that a PhD on that subject would be something she would like (you can read all about it here). Things have changed quite a bit in two years, and now I attended the 2024 ESSS as part of the staff.

My main tasks were helping with the afternoon exercises and giving a talk on the practical uses of ChatGPT for research on scientometrics, since this year’s topic day was on artificial intelligence. Firstly, the exercises were a great experience. The students were eager to learn and very kind to the staff, and their inquiries made us realise that the exercises were indeed well designed for their needs and for what they aimed to learn at the summer school. Plus, the exercises were a great opportunity to break the lecturer-audience barrier, which is not always an easy thing to do!
Then, giving the talk on ChatGPT was a different experience. During other presentations I was taking mental notes on how to do a good presentation, hoping I could do a job as good as the rest (or at least try to!). In the end, I think I managed to pass the test. I may have spoken too fast (as always), but some students approached me after the lecture to ask me things and to have conversations with me, which showed me they were actually interested in what I had said and wanted to discuss the matter further. That made me feel great and it made me understand the thrill of teaching, the intrinsic treasure that passing knowledge from one to another is. And I don’t mean just me saying things to the students - I also learned a lot from them and their work trajectories: librarians always have something interesting to say.
In conclusion, attending the school as a student or staff are two very different experiences. And I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed both. Possibly the best aspect of the summer school is what both experiences have in common: whether as a student or a lecturer you meet great people from all around the world, you learn a lot from everyone, you get to see other sides of scientometrics outside of academia, and, last but not least, you spend a week in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Next year the summer school will take place in Granada. I can’t wait to see how it goes, we hope to be up to the challenge! See you then!

Within the varied interdisciplinary framework of U^CHASS, the work of Nicolas Robinson and Elvira González-Salmón stands out for its contribution to scientometrics. Their recent presentations at the European Summer School on Scientometrics (ESSS) have highlighted the valuable role that U^CHASS plays in advancing research in multiple disciplines, while highlighting the impact of their work on the scientometric community.

As Elvira mentions in her chronicle, we are delighted to announce that the next European Summer School on Scientometrics (ESSS25) will be held in Granada. This upcoming event offers a fantastic opportunity for continued collaboration! Over time we will keep you informed about the organization of the next ESSS!