Personal Research Database

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 605.pdf

Abstract: Measuring the efficiency of scientific research activity presents critical methodological aspects, many of which have not been sufficiently studied. Although many studies have assessed the relation between quality and research productivity and academic rank, not much is known about the extent of distortion in national university performance rankings when academic rank and the other labor factors are not considered as a factor of normalization. This work presents a comparative analysis that aims to quantify the sensitivity of bibliometric rankings to the choice of input, with input considered as only the number of researchers on staff, or alternatively where their cost is also considered. The field of observation consists of all 69 Italian universities active in the hard sciences. Performance measures are based on the 81,000 publications produced during the 2004-2006 triennium by all 34,000 research staff, with analysis carried out at the level of individual disciplines, 187 in total. The effect of the switch from labor to cost seems to be minimal except for a few outliers.

Keywords: Bibliometric Indicators, Bibliometrics, Cost Efficiency, Gender, Methodology, Research, Research Productivity, Research Productivity, Scientists, Universities, University Ranking

? Cardoso, A.R., Guimaraes, P. and Zimmermann, K.F. (2010), Comparing the early research performance of PhD graduates in labor economics in Europe and the USA. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 621-637.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 621.pdf

Abstract: This paper analyzes the early research performance of PhD graduates in labor economics, addressing the following questions: Are there major productivity differences between graduates from American and European institutions? If so, how relevant is the quality of the training received (i.e. ranking of institution and supervisor) and the research environment in the subsequent job placement institution? The population under study consists of labor economics PhD graduates who received their degree in the years 2000-2005 in Europe or the USA. Research productivity is evaluated alternatively as the number of publications or the quality-adjusted number of publications of an individual. When restricting the analysis to the number of publications, results suggest a higher productivity by graduates from European universities than from USA universities, but this difference vanishes when accounting for the quality of the publication. The results also indicate that graduates placed at American institutions, in particular top ones, are likely to publish more quality-adjusted articles than their European counterparts. This may be because, when hired, they already have several good acceptances or because of more focused research efforts and clearer career incentives.

Keywords: Education, Graduate Programs, Incentives, Job Placements, Publication, Publication Analysis, Research, Research Productivity, Research Productivity

? Yin, C.Y., Aris, M.J. and Chen, X. (2010), Combination of Eigenfactor (TM) and h-index to evaluate scientific journals. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 639-648.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 639.pdf

Abstract: The h-index and Eigenfactor (TM) values of top and specialized scientific/engineering journals are tabulated and combined to provide a simple graphical representation of the journals. The information may be tailored to specific uses by respective stakeholders to aid decision making processes with regards to scholarly research and scientific journal publications.

Keywords: Eigenfactor (TM) Score, h-Index, Impact Factor, Journal Impact Factor, Journal Status, Research

? Ramos-Vielba, I., Fernandez-Esquinas, M. and Espinosa-de-los-Monteros, E. (2010), Measuring university-industry collaboration in a regional innovation system. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 649-667.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 649.pdf

Abstract: Studies of university-industry collaboration remain subject to important limitations due to the shortage of empirical data and a lack of consistency in that obtained to date. This article puts into practice a set of universities Third Mission indicators in a regional innovation system. Selected indicators previously compiled from literature were reorganized and pre-tested. We have undertaken two face-to-face surveys of 737 firms and 765 heads of research teams, respectively. The results test the validation of indicators and provide a complex map of university-industry linkages as well as some observations on the flexibility needed to address this issue.

Keywords: Indicators, Indicators, Institutionalization, Knowledge Transfer, Links, Regional Innovation System, Research, Science, Technology, University-Industry Collaboration, US

? Wong, C.Y. and Goh, K.L. (2010), Modeling the behaviour of science and technology: self-propagating growth in the diffusion process. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 669-686.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 669.pdf

Abstract: Through theoretical analysis and empirical demonstration, this paper attempts to model the behavior of science and technology by investigating the self-propagating behavior of their diffusion for South Korea, Malaysia and Japan. The dynamics of the self-propagating behavior were examined using the logistic growth function within a dynamic carrying capacity, while allowing for different effectiveness of potential influence of science and technology producers on potential adopters. Evidence suggests that the self-propagating growth function is particularly relevant for countries with advanced science and technology, like Japan. While self-propagating growth was also found for South Korea, the diffusion process remained fairly static for Malaysia.

Keywords: Capacity, Carrying Capacity, China, Countries, Diffusion, Dynamism, Emergence, Functionality Development, Growth Function, Industry, Innovation, Knowledge, Science, Systems, Technology

? Pepe, A. and Rodriguez, M.A. (2010), Collaboration in sensor network research: an in-depth longitudinal analysis of assortative mixing patterns. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 687-701.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 687.pdf

Abstract: Many investigations of scientific collaboration are based on statistical analyses of large networks constructed from bibliographic repositories. These investigations often rely on a wealth of bibliographic data, but very little or no other information about the individuals in the network, and thus, fail to illustrate the broader social and academic landscape in which collaboration takes place. In this article, we perform an in-depth longitudinal analysis of a relatively small network of scientific collaboration (N = 291) constructed from the bibliographic record of a research centerin the development and application of wireless and sensor network technologies. We perform a preliminary analysis of selected structural properties of the network, computing its range, configuration and topology. We then support our preliminary statistical analysis with an in-depth temporal investigation of the assortative mixing of selected node characteristics, unveiling the researchers’ propensity to collaborate preferentially with others with a similar academic profile. Our qualitative analysis of mixing patterns offers clues as to the nature of the scientific community being modeled in relation to its organizational, disciplinary, institutional, and international arrangements of collaboration.

Keywords: Co-Authorship, Coauthorship, Community, Discrete Assortativity, Growth, Homophily, Mixing Patterns, Network Evolution, Physics, Research, Science, Scientific Collaboration Networks, Sensor Network And Wireless Research, Social Network

? Macias-Chapula, C. (2010), Influence of local and regional publications in the production of public health research papers in Latin America. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 703-716.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 703.pdf

Abstract: The study seeks to identify the influence of local and regional publications in the production of public health research papers in the Latin American region. A citation analysis of the papers published in the following three leading journals in the field of public health was conducted: Revista M,dica de Chile (Chile) (RMCh), Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricin (Venezuela) (ALAN), and Salud PA(0)blica de M,xico (M,xico) (SPM). Papers were analyzed for the period 2003-2007. SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) and the printed version of the journals were used in the analysis. Overall, 1,273 papers from 122 journal issues were analyzed. References accounted for a total of 38,459. Over 90% of the production was published through the collaboration of two or more authors. Author affiliation corresponded in most cases to the country of origin of the journal. References to Portuguese papers accounted for nearly 5% in ALAN and less than 1% each in SPM and RMCh. Citations among the three journals were not significant. Only ALAN cited RMCh and SPM over 3% each, of total citations. SPM and RMCh cited each other less than 1% of total citations. With the exception of ALAN, most public health papers published in RMCh and SPM derived from the national collaboration of researchers in the field. A small amount of public health knowledge communication was being transferred from Brazil to the region through RMCh and SPM. A vertical and individual (per journal/country) model of knowledge communication in public health was identified.

Keywords: Bibliometric Analysis, Citation Analysis, Citations, Countries, De-Saude-Publica, Health Journals, Knowledge Management, Latin America, Output, Public Health Research, Research, Salud

? Lee, G.J. (2010), Assessing publication performance of research units: extensions through operational research and economic techniques. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 717-734.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 717.pdf

Abstract: Many quantitative measures exist to assess the publishing outputs of research units such as university departments or institutes. In addition to well-known issues with such measures, further shortcomings include inadequate adjustments for relative entity sizes and researcher intensity, the extent to which research is concentrated among a few rather than all researchers and lags between staffing and publication. This article presents a further array of possible measurement indices, based on operational research and economic ratios, which are capable of adjusting for each of these shortcomings, and which analysts can combine with relatively little effort into existing measures.

Keywords: Bibliometrics, Concentration, Higher-Education, Indicators, Inequality, Institutions, Lag in Research, Politics, Profiles, Publication, Research, Research Measures, Research Output, Research Productivity, Research Units, Scientific Productivity, University Departments

? Wang, J.C., Chiang, C.H. and Lin, S.W. (2010), Network structure of innovation: can brokerage or closure predict patent quality? Scientometrics, 84 (3), 735-748.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 735.pdf

Abstract: Patents are important intellectual assets for companies to defend or to claim their technological rights. To control R&D cost, companies should carefully examine their patents by patent quality. Approaches to evaluating patent quality are mostly a posteriori uses of factual information of patent quality. This paper examined whether patent quality can be predicted a priori, i.e., during the early years after a patent is granted, by analyzing information embedded in a network of patent citations. Social network analysis was applied to analyze two network positions occupied by a patent, brokerage and closure to determine whether either position is a good predictor of patent quality. Patent renewal decisions and forward citations were adopted as surrogates of patent quality. The analytical results showed that forward citations can be positively predicted by the brokerage position and negatively predicted by the closure position in the early and mature stages. Renewal decisions can be negatively predicted by the brokerage position in the early stage, and the closure position influences the renewal decision in a different way in the early and mature stages. These analytical results imply that a company should focus on developing patents that bridge different technologies as its technological developments reach maturity.

Keywords: Brokerage, Citations, Closure, Linkage, Market Value, Multiple Indicators, Patent Citation Network, Performance, Research-and-Development, Science, Social Network Analysis, Stock, Strategic Alliances, Technology

? Lillquist, E. and Green, S. (2010), The discipline dependence of citation statistics. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 749-762.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 749.pdf

Abstract: This study compares the citations characteristics of researchers in engineering disciplines with other major scientific disciplines, and investigates variations in citing patterns within subdisciplines in the field of engineering. Utilizing citations statistics including Hirsch’s (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102(46):16569-16572, 2005) h-index value, we find that significant differences in citing characteristics exist between engineering disciplines and other scientific fields. Our findings also reveal statistical differences in citing characteristics between subdisciplines found within the same engineering discipline.

Keywords: Citations, Discipline, Field, Fields, h-Index, h-Index, Impact, Science, Statistics

? Tang, L. and Walsh, J.P. (2010), Bibliometric fingerprints: name disambiguation based on approximate structure equivalence of cognitive maps. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 763-784.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 763.pdf

Abstract: Authorship identity has long been an Achilles’ heel in bibliometric analyses at the individual level. This problem appears in studies of scientists’ productivity, inventor mobility and scientific collaboration. Using the concepts of cognitive maps from psychology and approximate structural equivalence from network analysis, we develop a novel algorithm for name disambiguation based on knowledge homogeneity scores. We test it on two cases, and the results show that this approach outperforms other common authorship identification methods with the ASE method providing a relatively simple algorithm that yields higher levels of accuracy with reasonable time demands.

Keywords: Approximate Structural Equivalence, Authorship, Bibliometric, Citation Analysis, Cognitive Map, Common Names, Hierarchical Clustering, Impact, Knowledge Homogeneity Score, Name Disambiguation, Nanotechnology, Publications, Science, Web

? Hagen, N.T. (2010), Harmonic publication and citation counting: sharing authorship credit equitably - not equally, geometrically or arithmetically. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 785-793.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 785.pdf

Abstract: Bibliometric counting methods need to be validated against perceived notions of authorship credit allocation, and standardized by rejecting methods with poor fit or questionable ethical implications. Harmonic counting meets these concerns by exhibiting a robust fit to previously published empirical data from medicine, psychology and chemistry, and by complying with three basic ethical criteria for the equitable sharing of authorship credit. Harmonic counting can also incorporate additional byline information about equal contribution, or the elevated status of a corresponding last author. By contrast, several previously proposed counting schemes from the bibliometric literature including arithmetic, geometric and fractional counting, do not fit the empirical data as well and do not consistently meet the ethical criteria. In conclusion, harmonic counting would seem to provide unrivalled accuracy, fairness and flexibility to the long overdue task of standardizing bibliometric allocation of publication and citation credit.

Keywords: Bibliometric, Bibliometric Counting, Bibliometry, Consequences, Counting Bias, Multiple Authorship, Publication, Validation

? Egghe, L. (2010), Letter to the editor: On RandiA double dagger’s H-sequence. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 795-797.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 795.pdf

? Garcia-Carpintero, E., Granadino, B. and Plaza, L.M. (2010), The representation of nationalities on the editorial boards of international journals and the promotion of the scientific output of the same countries. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 799-811.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 799.pdf

Abstract: This paper analyses the nationalities of the editorial board members of the top 20 journals (according to their impact factor in the ISI Journal Citation Report, Science Edition 2005) serving 15 scientific disciplines. A total of 281 journals were analysed (some journals crossed disciplinary boundaries) and 10,055 of their editorial board members were identified. Some 53% of board members were from the United States. Europe provided 32%, with the United Kingdom making the greatest contribution (9.8%). The analysis of scientific output by nationality in these journals showed a significant correlation, in all disciplines, with the representation of the corresponding nations on the editorial boards. The composition of editorial boards may therefore provide a useful indicator for measuring a country’s international scientific visibility. The present results should be taken into account in the design of national policies with the aim of enhancing the presence of a country’s most prestigious scientists on the editorial boards of the main international journals.

Keywords: Citation, Editorial Boards, Gatekeeping Patterns, Impact Factor, Indicator, Internationalisation Indicators, Journal, Science, Science Journals, Scientific Journals, Visibility of Science

? Wang, M.H., Yu, T.C. and Ho, Y.S. (2010), A bibliometric analysis of the performance of Water Research. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 813-820.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics-Ho1.pdf, 2010\Scientometrics-Ho2.pdf, 2010\Scientometrics84, 813.pdf

Abstract: This paper presents a detailed chronological survey of papers published in the journal titled Water Research which started publication since 1967. This current investigation reviews publication patterns between 1967 and 2008. An analysis of the research performance according to publication output, distribution of words in article title, author keywords, and keywords plus. Performances of countries, institutes, and authors, including total, single, collaborative, first author, and corresponding author publications were analyzed. The most-frequently cited articles each year and the articles of the highest impact in 2008 were also reported. Results showed that “activated sludge” was the most frequently used author keyword, followed by “adsorption,” and “drinking water.” Authors from 114 different countries/territories published in the journal, with the most articles submitted by authors from the USA.

Keywords: Author Keywords, Citation, Citations, Journal, Publication, Publications, References, Research, SCI, Scientometrics, Water

? Abramo, G., D’Angelo, C.A. and Di Costa, F. (2010), Citations versus journal impact factor as proxy of quality: could the latter ever be preferable? Scientometrics, 84 (3), 821-833.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 821.pdf

Abstract: In recent years bibliometricians have paid increasing attention to research evaluation methodological problems, among these being the choice of the most appropriate indicators for evaluating quality of scientific publications, and thus for evaluating the work of single scientists, research groups and entire organizations. Much literature has been devoted to analyzing the robustness of various indicators, and many works warn against the risks of using easily available and relatively simple proxies, such as journal impact factor. The present work continues this line of research, examining whether it is valid that the use of the impact factor should always be avoided in favour of citations, or whether the use of impact factor could be acceptable, even preferable, in certain circumstances. The evaluation was conducted by observing all scientific publications in the hard sciences by Italian universities, for the period 2004-2007. Performance sensitivity analyses were conducted with changing indicators of quality and years of observation.

Keywords: Bibliometrics, Citations, Impact Factor, Research, Research Assessment, Research Evaluation, Research Productivity, University

? Ortega, J.L. and Aguillo, I.F. (2010), Network collaboration in the 6th Framework Programmes: country participation in the health thematic area. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 835-844.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 835.pdf

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the role of each country in the health thematic area of the 6th Framework Programme (6FP) of the EU. We try to explain how the collaborative research processes are generated in a research programme using social network analysis (SNA) tools. We have modelled a one-mode network set up by 2,132 organizations which participate in 601 research projects. This network was shrunk at the country level, obtaining a network of 31 countries. Results show that there is a strong relationship between R&D indicators and the structural position of each country in the network. The paper concludes that the SNA techniques are a suitable tool to assess the country performance in the EU research programmes.

Keywords: Centrality, Country Collaboration, Emergence, EU Research Programmes, Indicators, Network Analyses, Research, Science, Scientometrics

? Hofer, K.M., Smejkal, A.E., Bilgin, F.Z. and Wuehrer, G.A. (2010), Conference proceedings as a matter of bibliometric studies: The Academy of International Business 2006-2008. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 845-862.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 845.pdf

Abstract: This study does a bibliometric analysis based on keywords of conference proceedings. Scientometric investigations of conference proceedings are a new and innovative, not very common approach. The studies and papers presented may be interpreted as early indicators of scientific development. The Academy of International Business (AIB) was chosen for being the leading organization for studies in international business with contributions covering a 3-year period (2006-2008). The study presents the general structure of current scholarly interest in international business studies, clusters the keywords and reflects details on the focused research areas of the papers analyzed. The bibliometric analysis indicates three clusters: the core, the semi-periphery and the periphery. The five most occurring keywords were found to be multinational enterprise, emerging markets, foreign direct investment, internationalization and knowledge management in descending order. The analyses focus on concepts building the core (in total ten keywords), the semi-periphery which is coined by performance and related topics (60 keywords) and the periphery of the studies with governance and specific facets of it (199 keywords).

Keywords: Co-Word Analysis, Cocitation, Conference Proceedings, Content Analysis, Countries, Emerging Economies, Field, Foreign Direct-Investment, Globalization, Information, International Business, Knowledge Management, Methodology, Ranking, Research, Science, Scientometrics, Theory Development

? Sooryamoorthy, R. (2010), Medical research in South Africa: A scientometric analysis of trends, patterns, productivity and partnership. Scientometrics, 84 (3), 863-885.

Full Text: 2010\Scientometrics84, 863.pdf

Abstract: Being a scientifically active country in Africa, South Africa has made significant strides in the production of scientific publications. Medicine is one branch of science that has achieved a remarkable position in this regard. Extracting and analyzing medical publications for three decades and at regular intervals (1975-2005) from the SCI database, this paper pioneers an attempt to find out whether the reported pace of growth in the production of scientific papers in medicine is an effect of partnerships that scholars have with their counterparts within the organization, within the country, or with those in other countries. This paper also presents the unique patterns of scientific research in medicine, taking into account factors such as the count and fractional count of papers, citations, trends of growth, sectoral participation, partners, and publication outlets, and seeks to provide new insights into the directions medical science is taking in South Africa today.

Keywords: Authorship, Citation, Health, Indicators, International Collaboration, Medicine, Networks, Output, Partnership, Productivity, Publication, Research, SCI, Science, Scientific Collaboration, Scientometric Analysis, South Africa

? Hodder, A.P.W. and Hodder, C. (2010), Research culture and New Zealand’s performance-based research fund: some insights from bibliographic compilations of research outputs. Scientometrics,