Methodological and conceptual questions of bibliometric standards

Bibliometric studies are mostly empirical nature and they are mostly centred arround presentation of facts and data. There are very few studies which are centred arround theoretical foundation. The facts are gathered either through surveys or from published bibliographies, indexes, data bases. Based on these facts, empirical models and principles are being developed. The normative principles and standards have to evolve from the logical analyses of the empirical models. The stage is set to integrate empirical models of bibliometrics into standards. Future, bibliometric studies have to address this issue and reach the stage of normative principles.