Background: The scientific contribution made by a researcher is often approximated in terms of the impact of his/her scholarly publications. The product of scientific research is principally information published in scientific journals and they are cornerstone of knowledge dissemination. Also, this has become an important parameter for appointment in academic positions, research collaboration, receipt of research grants, etc. Objective: The aim of this article is to provide information about impact of scientometric indexes on academic progression and ranking of universities. Methods: Papers published of influence of the scientometric indexes on academic progression and ranking of universities were searched and analyzed. Results: The impact of the scholarly publications of a researcher is related to the citations of his/her publications quantified in terms of different scientometric indexes. The cumulative citations provide the total number of citations received by all of the scholarly publications of a researcher. However, as these indexes do not adjust their values for multiauthored publications, sometimes they may put forward a misleading picture. Also, significant financial resources are being invested in the formation of various international university ranking lists. The most prestigious ranking lists of universities in the world publish their results once or twice a year. Relevant university ranking lists consider various parameters, but for most universities (with the partial exception of the first 100) the number of publications and the impact that these publications achieve through citation are of the greatest importance in ranking. Universities and faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina are more educational and less scientific institutions, and symbolize the mix of secondary and higher education, without becoming either one in the original sense of the word. Conclusions: The fact is that investments in scientific research work affect the improvement of scientific production. However, without the introduction of internationally recognized scientific criteria in the evaluation of scientific research, and the coordination of academic progress in accordance with the criteria, even the current miserable investment in science is essentially a useless waste of taxpayers money.
Key words: internationally recognized criteria, academic community, education, ranking of universities.
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