Personal Research Database

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 473.pdf

Abstract: This paper explores a methodology for delimitating scientific subfields by combining the use of (specialist) journal categories from Thomson Scientific’s Web of Science (WoS) and reference analysis. In a first step it selects all articles in journals included in a particular WoS journal category covering a subfield. These journals are labelled as a subfield’s specialist journals. In a second step, this set of papers is expanded with papers published in other, additional journals and citing a subfield’s specialist journals with a frequency exceeding a certain citation threshold. Data are presented for two medical subfields: Oncology and Cardiac & Cardiovascular System. A validation based on findings from earlier studies, from an analysis of MESH descriptors from MEDLINE, and on expert opinion provides evidence that the proposed methodology has a high precision, and that expansion substantially enhanced the recall, not merely in terms of the number of retrieved papers, but also in terms of the number of research topics covered. The paper also examines how a bibliometric ranking of countries and universities based on the citation impact of their papers published in a subfield’s specialist journals compares to that of a ranking based on the impact of their articles in additional journals. Rather weak correlations especially obtained at the level of universities underline the conclusion from earlier studies that an assessment of research groups or universities in a scientific subfield that takes into account solely papers published in a subfield’s specialist journals is unsatisfactory.

Keywords: Analysis, Assessment, Bibliometric, Cancer-Research, Cardiovascular, Categories, Citation, Difference, Evidence, Impact, Information, Item Subject Classification, Journal, Journals, Maps, Medical, Methodology, Research, Science, Validation

? Gouveia, F.C. and Kurtenbach, E. (2009), Mapping the web relations of science centres and museums from Latin America. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 491-505.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 491.pdf

Abstract: In Latin America, interactive science centres and museums are key institutions for science communication. In order to map their relationship over the Internet, a Web co-link analysis was applied to 18 websites of science centres and museums affiliated to the Network for the Popularization of Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean - RedPOP. Clustering analysis, multidimensional scaling (MDS) and an analysis of all pages with links to at least two websites were performed. Results showed that language barriers played a prominent role in clustering, with external recognition by the target public representing a secondary issue.

Keywords: Analysis, Barriers, Communication, Institutions, Internet, Key, Language, Language Barriers, Latin America, Recognition, Relations, Relationship, Science, Secondary, Web

? Arencibia-Jorge, R. and Rousseau, R. (2009), Influence of individual researchers’ visibility on institutional impact: an example of Prathap’s approach to successive h-indices. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 507-516.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 507.pdf

Abstract: This study applies Prathap’s approach to successive h-indices in order to measure the influence of researcher staff on institutional impact. The twelve most productive Cuban institutions related to the study of the human brain are studied. The Hirsch index was used to measure the impact of the institutional scientific output, using the g-index and R-index as complementary indicators. Prathap’s approach to successive h-indices, based on the author-institution hierarchy, is used to determine the institutional impact through the performance of the researcher staff. The combination of different Hirsch-type indices for institutional evaluation is illustrated.

Keywords: Evaluation, Hierarchy, Human, Impact, Indicators, Indices, Individual, Influence, Institutions, Performance, Scientific-Research Output, Staff

? Abramo, G., D’Angelo, C.A. and Caprasecca, A. (2009), Gender differences in research productivity: A bibliometric analysis of the Italian academic system. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 517-539.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 517.pdf

Abstract: The literature dedicated to the analysis of the difference in research productivity between the sexes tends to agree in indicating better performance for men. Through bibliometric examination of the entire population of research personnel working in the scientific-technological disciplines of Italian university system, this study confirms the presence of significant differences in productivity between men and women. The differences are, however, smaller than reported in a large part of the literature, confirming an ongoing tendency towards decline, and are also seen as more noticeable for quantitative performance indicators than other indicators. The gap between the sexes shows significant sectorial differences. In spite of the generally better performance of men, there are scientific sectors in which the performance of women does not prove to be inferior.

Keywords: Ability, Academic, Analysis, Bibliometric, Difference, Disciplines, Gender, Gender Differences, Impact, Indicators, Literature, Men, Meta-Analysis, Metaanalysis, Performance, Performance Indicators, Population, Presence, Productivity, Publication Productivity, Quantitative, Research, Scientific Productivity, Sex-Differences, University, Women

? Pislyakov, V. (2009), Comparing two “thermometers”: Impact factors of 20 leading economic journals according to Journal Citation Reports and Scopus. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 541-550.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 541.pdf

Abstract: Impact factors for 20 journals ranked first by Journal Citation Reports (JCR) were compared with the same indicator calculated on the basis of citation data obtained from Scopus database. A significant discrepancy was observed as Scopus, though results differed from title to title, found in general more citations than listed in JCR. This also affected ranking of the journals. More thorough examination of two selected titles proved that the divergence resulted mainly from difference in coverage of two products, although other important factors also play their part.

Keywords: Citation, Citations, Coverage, Database, Databases, Difference, Economic, Factors, Google-Scholar, Index, ISI, Journals, Play, Web-of-Science

? Sternitzke, C. (2009), Patents and publications as sources of novel and inventive knowledge. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 551-561.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 551.pdf

Abstract: This paper briefly reviews the knowledge-generation process and explores to what degree technical and scientific knowledge from prior art anticipates novelty or the inventive step of an invention. Inventions are novel if they have not been described (in the public) before, and they are inventive if the technical solution was non-obvious to a skilled person in the field. We employ a novel approach of patent citation analysis to investigate this phenomenon. Since in this context common approaches of such citation analysis are biased (usually, citations are neither exhaustive nor relevant in their entirety), we focus on examination reports of European patent applications and the references given therein. Our findings reveal that particularly technical knowledge comprised in patents serves as a source of novelty, while scientific knowledge frequently stems from multiple scientific papers and accounts for the inventive step. In addition, it is found that in many cases scientific knowledge is of commercial relevance and therefore constitutes more than general background information that aids the technical knowledge generation process.

Keywords: Analysis, Applications, Art, Background, Citation, Citations, Context, Documents, Fish-Oil, Generation, Information, Knowledge, Literature-Based Discovery, Literatures, Novel, Process, Raynauds, Relevance, Science, Scientific Knowledge, Sources, Technological Search

? Jang, S.L., Lo, S.M. and Chang, W.H. (2009), How do latecomers catch up with forerunners? Analysis of patents and patent citations in the field of flat panel display technologies. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 563-591.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 563.pdf

Abstract: This paper sets out to explore the patterns of technological change and knowledge spillover in the field of flat panel display (FPD) technology, along with the catching-up behavior of latecomers, through the analysis of US patents and patent citations between 1976 and 2005. Our results show that: (i) the catching-up by FPD technology latecomers began at the transition stage (1987-1996) when the dominant design became established in areas with high ‘revealed technology advantage’ (RTA), (II) there is no apparent localization of knowledge spillover amongst FPD technology latecomers, instead, higher citation frequencies of forerunners’ patents were found in latecomers’ FPD patents during the transition (1987-1996) and post-dominant design (1997-2005) stages and, and (iii) a few extraordinary peaks were found in the citation frequency of forerunners’ patents at long citation lags in latecomers’ FPD patents, particularly during the transition stage (1987-1996), indicative of the knowledge threshold which latecomers need to cross in order to catch up with forerunners.

Keywords: Analysis, Behavior, Change, Citation, Citations, Design, Indicators, Innovation, Knowledge, Knowledge-Diffusion, Korea, Market Value, Mobility, Need, Networks, Patterns, Regimes, Schumpeterian Patterns, Spillover, Spillovers, Technology, Transition, US

? Zhou, P., Thijs, B. and Glänzel, W. (2009), Is China also becoming a giant in social sciences? Scientometrics, 79 (3), 593-621.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 593.pdf

Abstract: At present China is challenging the leading sciento-economic powers and evolving to one of the world’s largest potentials in science and technology. Jointly with other emerging economies, China has already changed the balance of power among the formerly leading nations as measured by scientific production. In the present paper, the evolution of China’s publication activity and citation impact in the social sciences is studied for the period 1997-2006. Besides the comparative analysis of trends in publication and citation patterns and of national publication profiles, an attempt is made to interpret the results in both the regional and global context.

Keywords: Analysis, China, Citation, Citation-Index, Collaboration, Comparative, Context, Database, Evolution, Impact, Indicators, Journals, Patterns, Power, Production, Research Performance, Science, Social, Social Sciences, Technology, Trends

? Lee, Y.G. (2009), What affects a patent’s value? An analysis of variables that affect technological, direct economic, and indirect economic value: An exploratory conceptual approach. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 623-633.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 623.pdf

Abstract: The paper investigates three aspects of patent value - technological value, direct economic value, and indirect economic value. The paper suggests that we measure the technological value of a patent by looking at its number of citations, direct economic value by looking at its licensing and income from royalties, and indirect economic value by looking at its life (i.e., duration). For the research, the author’s two previous studies are deeply explored. It is found that these three aspects of patent value are positively correlated with one another. In addition, their domains overlap and interrelate. Research collaboration is the one variable found to have a significant effect on all three aspects. The field effect of electronics positively affects technological and indirect economic value, whereas research team size negatively affects technological and indirect economic value.

Keywords: Affect, Analysis, Citations, Collaboration, Domains, Economic, Income, Life, Research

? Archambault, E. and Lariviere, V. (2009), History of the journal impact factor: Contingencies and consequences. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 635-649.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 635.pdf

Abstract: This paper examines the genesis of journal impact measures and how their evolution culminated in the journal impact factor (JIF) produced by the Institute for Scientific Information. The paper shows how the various building blocks of the dominant JIF (published in the Journal Citation Report - JCR) came into being. The paper argues that these building blocks were all constructed fairly arbitrarily or for different purposes than those that govern the contemporary use of the JIF. The results are a faulty method, widely open to manipulation by journal editors and misuse by uncritical parties. The discussion examines some solution offered to the bibliometrics and scientific communities considering the wide use of this indicator at present.

Keywords: Communities, Consequences, Discussion, Evolution, Impact, Journal, Measures, Performance, Science, Subject Categories

? Arruda, D., Bezerra, F., Neris, V.A., De Toro, P.R. and Wainer, J. (2009), Brazilian computer science research: Gender and regional distributions. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 651-665.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 651.pdf

Abstract: This paper analysis the distribution of some characteristics of computer scientists in Brazil according to regions and gender. Computer scientist is defined as the faculty of a graduate level computer science department. Under this definition, there were 886 computer scientists in Brazil in November 2006.

Keywords: Analysis, Brazil, Computer Science, Distribution, Faculty, Gender, Pipeline, Publications, Research, Science, Technology, Women

? Ball, R. (2009), Scholarly communication in transition: The use of question marks in the titles of scientific articles in medicine, life sciences and physics 1966-2005. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 667-679.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 667.pdf

Abstract: The titles of scientific articles have a special significance. We examined nearly 20 million scientific articles and recorded the development of articles with a question mark at the end of their titles over the last 40 years. Our study was confined to the disciplines of physics, life sciences and medicine, where we found a significant increase from 50% to more than 200% in the number of articles with question-mark titles. We looked at the principle functions and structure of the titles of scientific papers, and we assume that marketing aspects are one of the decisive factors behind the growing usage of question-mark titles in scientific articles.

Keywords: Abstracts, Colons, Communication, Development, Disciplines, Factors, Life, Myth, Number, Structure, Titular Colonicity, Transition

? Garcia-Santiago, L. and De Moya-Anegon, F. (2009), Using co-outlinks to mine heterogeneous networks. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 681-702.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 681.pdf

Abstract: Clustering is applied to web co-outlink analysis to represent the heterogeneous nature of the World Wide Web in terms of the “triple helix” model (university-industry-government). An initial categorization is based on families of websites, which is then matched with Spanish institutions from diverse sectors represented on the Web, to uncover cognitive structures and related subgroups with common interests and confirm the junction of sectors of the “triple helix” model. We may conclude that the clustering method applied to web co-outlink analysis works when fully institutionalized organizations are studied, to make their interconnections manifest.

Keywords: Analysis, Citations, Cognitive, Families, Heterogeneous, Hyperlinks, Industry-Government Relations, Information, Institutions, Links, Model, Networks, Organizations, Triple-Helix, Web, Web Environment, Webometrics

? Marx, W. and Cardona, M. (2009), The citation impact outside references - formal versus informal citations. Scientometrics, 80 (1), 1-21.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics80, 1.pdf

Abstract: In this study the amount of “informal” citations (i.e. those mentioning only author names or their initials instead of the complete references) in comparison to the “formal” (full reference based) citations is analyzed using some pioneers of chemistry and physics as examples. The data reveal that the formal citations often measure only a small fraction of the overall impact of seminal publications. Furthermore, informal citations are mainly given instead of (and not in addition to) formal citations. As a major consequence, the overall impact of pioneering articles and researchers cannot be entirely determined by merely counting the full reference based citations.

Keywords: Citation, Citations, Comparison, Crystals, Current Situation, Fraction, Impact, Light Diffusion, Quantum-Mechanics, Wave Mechanics

? Takeda, Y., Mae, S., Kajikawa, Y. and Matsushima, K. (2009), Nanobiotechnology as an emerging research domain from nanotechnology: A bibliometric approach. Scientometrics, 80 (1), 23-38.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics80, 23.pdf

Abstract: Nanotechnology has been intensively investigated by bibliometric methods due to its technological importance and expected impacts on economic activity. However, there is less focus on nanobiotechnology, which is an emerging research domain in nanotechnology. In this paper, we study the current status of the former, with our primary focus being to reveal the structure and research domains in nanobiotechnology. We also examine country and institutional performance in nanobiotechnology. It emerged that nanostructures, drug delivery and biomedical applications, bio-imaging, and carbon nanotubes and biosensors are the major research domains, while the USA is the leading country, and China has also made substantial contribution. Most institutions having a major impact in the area of nanobiotechnology are located in the USA.

Keywords: Applications, Bibliometric, Carbon, Carbon Nanotubes, China, Citation Analysis, Collaboration, Current, Domains, Drug, Economic, Impact, Institutions, Methods, Nano-Technology, Networks, Patents, Patterns, Performance, Research, Research-and-Development, Science, Status, Structure, Technology Field, Trends, USA

? Li, L.L., Ding, G.H., Feng, N., Wang, M.H. and Ho, Y.S. (2009), Global stem cell research trend: Bibliometric analysis as a tool for mapping of trends from 1991 to 2006. Scientometrics, 80 (1), 39-58.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics80, 39.pdf

Abstract: In this study, we aim to evaluate the global scientific production of stem cell research for the past 16 years and provide insights into the characteristics of the stem cell research activities and identify patterns, tendencies, or regularities that may exist in the papers. Data are based on the online version of SCI, Web of Science from 1991 to 2006. Articles referring to stem cell were assessed by many aspects including exponential fitting the trend of publication outputs during 1991-2006, distribution of source title, author keyword, and keyword plus analysis. Based on the exponential fitting the yearly publicans of the last decade, it can also be calculated that, in 2,011, the number of scientific papers on the topic of stem-cell will be twice of the number of publications in 2006. Synthetically analyzing three kinds of keywords, it can be concluded that application of stem cell transplantation technology to human disease therapy, especially research related on “embryonic stem cell” and “mesenchymal stem cell” is the orientation of all the stem cell research in the 21(st) century. This new bibliometric method can help relevant researchers realize the panorama of global stem cell research, and establish the further research direction.

Keywords: Activities, Articles, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Analysis, Bone-Marrow-Transplantation, Characteristics, Differentiation, Diseases, Distribution, Global, Growth, Human, Mapping, Model, Number of Publications, Pluripotency, Production, Productivity, Publication, Publications, Regeneration, Research, Research Trend, Researchers, SCI, Science, Scientific Production, Technology, Therapy, Topic, Transplantation, Trend, Trends, Web of Science

? Liu, Y.X., Rao, I.K.R. and Rousseau, R. (2009), Empirical series of journal h-indices: The JCR category Horticulture as a case study. Scientometrics, 80 (1), 59-74.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics80, 59.pdf

Abstract: Two types of series of h-indices for journals published in the field of Horticulture during the period 1998-2007 are calculated. Type I h-indices are based on yearly data, while type II h-indices use cumulative data. These h-indices are also considered in a form normalised with respect to the number of published articles. It is observed that type I h-indices, normalised or not, decrease linearly over a period of ten years. The type II series, however, is not linear in nature: it exhibits partly a concave shape. This proves that the journals (in Horticulture) do not exhibit a linear increase in h-index as argued by Hirsch in the case of life-time achievements of scientists. In the second part of the paper, an attempt is made to study the relative visibility of a journal and its change over time, based on h-indices of journals. It is shown that: the h-index over the complete period 1998-2007 of the journal Theoretical & Applied Genetics (h = 62) is much higher than that of all other journals in the field the relation between the number of publications and the type II h-index for the whole period is not an exact power law (as it would have to be if the Egghe-Rousseau model were applicable) in order to study the dynamic aspects of journal visibility, a field-relative normalised h-ratio is defined to monitor systematic changes in the field of Horticulture. Except for two journals, the Pearson correlation coefficient for yearly values of this field-relative normalised h-ratio indicates that there is no systematic change of the performance of the journals with respect to the field as a whole.

Keywords: Case Study, Change, Changes, Correlation, Correlation Coefficient, Dynamic, Hirsch-Index, Journal, Journals, Law, Lifetime, Model, Performance, Power, Time, Values

? Kim, H. and Lee, J.Y. (2009), Archiving research trends in LIS domain using profiling analysis. Scientometrics, 80 (1), 75-90.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics80, 75.pdf

Abstract: This study aims to provide archiving research trends from the perspective of the field of library and information science using profiling analysis method. The LISA database has been selected as the representative database in the library and information science field, and articles have been searched via the keyword ‘archiv*’. The analysis methods used in this study were the journal profiling method and the descriptor profiling method. The descriptor profiling method presents descriptors as a bag of words. That is, it represents descriptors according to the word sets which are included in the documents in which those descriptors are assigned. As a result of journal analysis, six representative journals which are closely related to archiv* have been identified. The six journals were Archivaria, Advanced Technology Libraries, Journal of the Society of Archivists, American Archivist, Archifacts, and Records Management Bulletin. The results of descriptor analysis show that the most comprehensive and core subject was digital libraries, and the most comprehensive and core object was the electronic media. Another result of detailed analysis shows that the outstanding objects were publications, special collections/sound, cultural heritage, television, image/photographs, internet/bibliographic data, and DB/newspapers. On the other hand, outstanding subjects were Archives, National Libraries, Universities, Libraries and companies.

Keywords: American, Analysis, Database, Electronic Media, Information, Journal, Journals, Lis, Media, Methods, Research, Science, Television, Trends

? Zhao, Y.Y., Cui, L. and Yang, H. (2009), Evaluating reliability of co-citation clustering analysis in representing the research history of subject. Scientometrics,