Calibration against a reference set: A quantitative approach to assessment of the methods of assessment of scientific output

A set of authors whose scientific output can be unequivocally ranged from the highest to the lowest is used to assess the methods of assessment of scientific output. The rank-rank correlation coefficient between the known order in the calibration set and the order produced by certain method of assessment is a quantitative measure of the quality of that method. A common-sense-based reference may play a positive role in the communication between the enthusiasts and antagonists of bibliometric indices.