Personal Research Database

Full Text: S\Scientometrics55, 273.pdf

Abstract: Certain similarities between the types of data reported in retrospective citation analyses and lifetime/survival/reliability models are noted. Graphical techniques much used in reliability analyses are exploited to throw further light on observed citation age distributions and these are then compared and contrasted with previously reported studies. These simple techniques allow systematic departures of empirical data from assumed theoretical models to be highlighted and the models to be compared.

Keywords: Obsolescence

Rousseau, R. (2002), Lack of standardisation in informetric research. Comments on ‘Power laws of research output. Evidence for journals of economics’ by Matthias Sutter and Martin G. Kocher. Scientometrics, 55 (2), 317-327.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics55, 317.pdf

Abstract: Lack of standard procedures hinders progress in scientometric and bibliometric research. Provoked by a recent publication in the journal Scientometrics, we consider in particular the problem of how to handle - in a standardised way - data that, by and large, follow a Lotka, Zipf or Mandelbrot distribution.

Keywords: Lotka’s Law, Scientific Production, Statistical-Analysis, Distributions, Authors

Glänzel, W., Schubert, A. and Braun, T. (2002), A relational charting approach to the world of basic research in twelve science fields at the end of the second millennium. Scientometrics, 55 (3), 335-348.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 335.pdf

Keywords: Indicators, Datafiles, Nations

Martín-Sempere, M.J., Rey-Rocha, J. and Garzón-García, B. (2002), The effect of team consolidation on research collaboration and performance of scientists. Case study of Spanish university researchers in Geology. Scientometrics, 55 (3), 377-394.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 377.pdf

Abstract: We analyse to what extent research collaboration and performance of individual scientists is influenced by the level of consolidation of the team they belong to. A case study of Spanish senior university researchers in Geology is performed. Methodology is based on the combination of a mail survey carried out among a defined set of researchers, and a bibliometric study of their scientific output. Results provide support for the hypothesis that consolidation of research teams would result in a greater facility to establish contacts and collaborations with colleagues, that could benefit all members of the team, fostering their participation in funded projects and favouring their potential to publish in international mainstream journals.

Kim, M.J. (2002), Citation patterns of Korean physicists and mechanical engineers: Differences by type of publication source and type of authorship. Scientometrics, 55 (3), 421-436.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics55, 421.pdf

Abstract: By comparing the citation patterns of Korean researchers in physics and mechanical engineering, this study identifies the extent to which type of publication source (Korean non-SCI, Korean SCI, and international SCI) and type of authorship (purely Korean authors, Korean-foreign co-authors, and foreign-Korean co-authors) influence the choice of sources cited by Korean scientists. Koreans publishing physics or mechanical engineering papers in international SCI journals are more likely to cite articles published in journals of the science mainstream countries (the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, and Germany) than articles published in national journals, while Koreans publishing in Korean journals tend to cite articles published in national journals. In terms of authorship, articles published in mainstream journals are more highly cited by internationally co-authored papers than Korean-authored papers in both disciplines.

Keywords: Behavior, Science, Journals, Place

Kurnaz, E.L. (2002), Observations on the growth characteristics of the research output of Turkish physicists based on a selective citation analysis. Scientometrics, 55 (3), 437-444.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics55, 437.pdf

Abstract: A comparison has been carried out between the scientific production of Turkish physicists in the periods 1961-1971 and 1994-2000, by considering articles (written singly or in collaboration with scientists of different nationalities) which have received at least ten citations. The results show that in 30 years, appreciable increases have occurred in the number of authors making significant contributions and in the number of papers based on research carried out in Turkey.

Sombatsompop, N., Ratchatahirun, P., Surathanasakul, V., Premkamolnetr, N. and Markpin, T. (2002), A citation report for Thai academic journals published during 1996-2000. Scientometrics, 55 (3), 445-462.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics55, 445.pdf

Abstract: This article aimed to report Journal Impact Factor (J-IF) and Journal Immediacy Index (J-II) of 68 Thai academic journals during the past five years (from 1996 to 2000) using the calculation method given by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). This was the first time that the citation indexes of Thai academic journals were established. With respect to the journal impact factor, the results showed that only six journals have been cited continuously during the past five years, this being 8.8% of the total journal number selected in this work. It was also noticeable that articles published in longer journal age tended to have greater opportunity to be cited and higher journal impact factor. The average impact factor of the 68 journals was relatively low, this being of 0.069, suggesting that the possibility of an article published in a national journal to be cited was only 6.9%. In terms of the immediacy index, it was found that the average immediacy index value was 0.063, which was again very low. No significant relationship between the journal age and the immediacy index could be observed. 47% of the journals have never been able to produce the immediacy index in the past five years, suggesting that articles in the Thai academic journals were hardly cited within the same years they were published.

Braun, T., Szabadi-Peresztegi, Z. and Kovács-Németh, É. (2002), No-bells for ambiguous lists of ranked Nobelists as science indicators of national merit in physics, chemistry and medicine, 1901-2001. Scientometrics, 56 (1), 3-28.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 3.pdf

Keywords: Models

Bharvi, D., Garg, K.C. and Bali, A. (2003), Scientometrics of the international journal Scientometrics. Scientometrics, 56 (1), 81-93.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 81.pdf

Abstract: An analysis of 1317 papers published in first fifty volumes during 1978 to 2001 of the international journal Scientometrics indicates the heterogeneity of the field with emphasis on scientometric assessment. The study indicates that the US share of papers is constantly on the decline while that of the Netherlands, India, France and Japan is on the rise. The research output is highly scattered as indicated by the average number of papers per institution. The scientometric output is dominated by the single authored papers, however, multi-authored papers are gaining momentum. Similar pattern has been observed for domestic and international collaboration.

Lee, C.K. (2003), A scientometric study of the research performance of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore. Scientometrics, 56 (1), 95-110.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 110.pdf

Abstract: This paper describes results of a scientometric study of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB). The purpose of the study is to evaluate the research performance of IMCB in the first ten years since its establishment. Research inputs and three research outputs - publications, graduate students, and patents filed, are examined. The findings indicate that in the ten years, IMCB produced 395 research papers, 33 book chapters, 24 conference papers, and 4 monographs, graduated 46 PhDs and 14 MScs, and filed 10 patents. In its quest to become world-class, IMCB researchers have been very selective in where they publish - 95.6% of the articles were published in ISI journals. The articles received an average of 25 to 35 citations per article, and the percentage of uncited articles is 11.6%. Four articles received more than 200 citations, and 18 received between 100 to 200 citations.

Stegmann, J. and Grohmann, G. (2003), Hypothesis generation guided by co-word clustering. Scientometrics, 56 (1), 111-135.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 111.pdf

Abstract: Co-word analysis was applied to keywords assigned to MEDLINE documents contained in sets of complementary but disjoint literatures. In strategical diagrams of disjoint literatures, based on internal density and external centrality of keyword-containing clusters, intermediate terms (linking the disjoint partners) were found in regions of below-median centrality and density. Terms representing the disjoint literature themes were found in close vicinity in strategical diagrams of intermediate literatures. Based on centrality-density ratios, characteristic values were found which allow a rapid identification of clusters containing possible intermediate and disjoint partner terms. Applied to the already investigated disjoint pairs Raynaud ‘s Disease - Fish Oil, Migraine - Magnesium, the method readily detected known and unknown (but relevant) intermediate and disjoint partner terms. Application of the method to the literature on Prions led to Manganese as possible disjoint partner term. It is concluded that co-word clustering is a powerful method for literature-based hypothesis generation and knowledge discovery.

Inönü, E. (2003), The influence of cultural factors on scientific production. Scientometrics, 56 (1), 137-146.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 137.pdf

Abstract: A classification of countries is made according to respective ranks in the scales of ‘publications per million persons’ and ‘GDP per capita (ppp)’. The result is a clustering of countries which share a common cultural attitude toward scientific research.

Braun, T., Szabadi-Peresztegi, Z. and Kovacs-Nemeth, E. (2003), About Abels and similar international awards for ranked lists of awardees as science indicators of national merit in mathematics. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 161-168.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 161.pdf

Garg, K.C. (2003), An overview of cross-national, national, and institutional assessment as reflected in the international journal Scientometrics. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 169-199.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 169.pdf

Abstract: An overview is given of the studies published in the international journal Scientometrics during 1978-2000 on cross-national, national and institutional scientometric assessment.

Tsay, M.Y. and Ma, S.S. (2003), The nature and relationship between the productivity of journals and their citations in semiconductor literature. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 201-222.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 201.pdf

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between journals’ productivity and their citations in the field of semiconductors. Journal samples were gathered from the INSPEC database, 1978 to 1997 while the data of citation frequency, impact factor, cited half-life and citing half-life were obtained from Science Citation Index, Journal Citation Reports 1997 CD-ROM edition. One thousand and eight hundred and seventy seven journals publishing articles on semiconductors were retrieved. The nature for the data of journal productivity, impact factor, cited half-life and citing half-life are explored. Among these journals, only 672 journals that were covered in JCR were compared. Moreover, statistical tests of more productive journals with cumulative publication in semiconductor >100 were also conducted on the basis of all articles they published annually (for 1997). The results of the study showed that there is a significant correlation between journal productivity and citation frequency and between journal productivity and impact factor. However, there are no associations between journal productivity and cited half-life and between journal productivity and citing half-life.

Lee, J.D., Vicente, K.J., Cassano, A. and Shearer, A. (2003), Can scientific impact be judged prospectively? A bibliometric test of Simonton ‘s model of creative productivity. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 223-232.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 223.pdf

Abstract: Simonton ‘s (1997) model of creative productivity, based on a blind variation-selection process, predicts scientific impact can only be evaluated retrospectively, after recognition has been achieved. We test this hypothesis using bibliometric data from the Human Factors journal, which gives an award for the best paper published each year. If Simonton ‘s model is correct, award winning papers would not be cited much more frequently than non-award winning papers, showing that scientific success cannot be judged prospectively. The results generally confirm Simonton ‘s model. Receipt of the award increases the citation rate of articles, but accounts for only 0.8% to 1.2% of the variance in the citation rate. Consistent with Simonton ‘s model, the influence of the award on citation rate may reflect a selection process of an elite group of reviewers who are representative of the larger peer group that eventually determines the citation rate of the article. Consistent with Simonton ‘s model, author productivity accounts for far more variance in the authors’ total citation rate (58.9%) and in the citation rate of the authors’ most cited article (12.6%) than does award receipt.

Aksnes, D.W. (2003), A macro study of self-citation. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 235-246.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 235.pdf

Abstract: This study investigates the role of self-citation in the scientific production of Norway (1981-1996). More than 45,000 publications have been analysed. Using a three-year citation window we find that 36% of all citations represent author self-citations. However, this percentage is decreasing when citations are traced for longer periods. We find the highest share of self-citation among the least cited papers. There is a strong positive correlation between the number of self-citations and the number of authors of the publications. Still, only a minor part of the overall increase in citation rates that can be found for multi-authored papers is due to self-citations. Also, the share of self-citation shows significant variations among different scientific disciplines. The results are relevant for the discussion concerning use of citation indicators in research assessments.

Zitt, M., Ramanana-Rahary, S. and Bassecoulard, E. (2003), Correcting glasses help fair comparisons in international science landscape: Country indicators as a function of ISI database delineation. Scientometrics, 56 (2), 259-282.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 259.pdf

Abstract: The increasing use of bibliometric indicators in science policy calls for a reassessment of their robustness and limits. The perimeter of journal inclusion within ISI databases will determine variations in the classic bibliometric indicators used for international comparison, such as world shares of publications or relative impacts. We show in this article that when this perimeter is adjusted using a natural criterion for inclusion of journals, the journal impact, the variation of the most common country indicators (publication and citation shares, relative impacts) with the perimeter chosen depends on two phenomena. The first one is a bibliometric regularity rooted in the main features of competition in the open space of science, that can be modeled by bibliometric laws, the parameters of which are ‘coverage- independent’ indicators. But this regularity is obscured for many countries by a second phenomenon, the presence of a sub-population of journals that does not reflect the same international openness, the nationally- oriented journals. As a result indicators based on standard SCI or SCISearch perimeters are jeopardized to a certain extent by this sub-population which creates large irregularities. These irregularities often lead to an over-estimation of share and an under-estimation of the impact, for countries with national editorial tradition, while the impact of a few mainstream countries arguably benefits from the presence of this sub-population.

Keywords: Cross-Field Normalization, Scientific Journals, Citation-Index, Distributions, Publication, Model, Performance, Society, Impact, SCI

Drenth, J.P.H. (2003), More reprint requests, more citations? Scientometrics, 56 (2), 283-286.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 283.pdf

Abstract: Reprint requests are commonly used to obtain a copy of an article. This study aims to correlate the number of reprint requests from a 10-year-sample of articles with the number of citations. The database contained 28 articles published in over a 10-year-period (1992-2001). For each separate article the number of citations and and the number of reprint requests were retrieved. In total 303 reprint requests were analysed. Reviews (median 9, range 1 to 95) and original articles (median 8, range 1-36) attracted most reprint requests. There was an excellent correlation between the number of requests and citations to article (two-tailed non-parametric Spearman rank test r = 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.78, P < 0.005). Articles that received most reprint requests are cited more often.

Schloegl, C., Gorraiz, J., Bart, C. and Bargmann, M. (2003), Evaluating two Austrian university departments: Lessons learned. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 287-299.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 287.pdf

Abstract: This paper describes various problems which may occur in quantitative research evaluation. It is shown that problems already arise when trying to define such seemingly simple scientometric elements as ‘personnel’ or ‘budget’. This has major consequences on the construction of indicators. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that different data sources as well as different data and indicators result in different, sometimes even contradicting outcomes.

Keywords: Indicators

Hayashi, T. (2003), Bibliometric analysis on additionality of Japanese R&D programmes. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 301-316.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 301.pdf

Abstract: To justify public investment in R&D activities especially those conducted by private companies, the effect to change their behavior into what could not be realized without public funds is required. This paper studies the ‘additionality’ of Japanese R&D programmes by analyzing the patent applications of five case study projects. Changes and continuations in research themes between the results of the project and the results in five years before and after the project were measured using a similarity index. Also, the similarities between research groups in a project were measured. These show how each project was constituted by researchers with various types of knowledge. As a result, although all projects contained core research groups who continued their research in the project, the effect of mobilizing other researchers into new fields was shown to vary depending on the characteristics of the projects.

Keywords: Science

Figueira, I., Jacques, R. and Leta, J. (2003), A comparison between domestic and international publications in Brazilian psychiatry. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 317-327.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 317.pdf

Abstract: This article assesses the Brazilian psychiatric production and compares the numbers of articles published between 1981 and 1995 in Brazilian domestic journals and published in international journals. From the total number of articles analyzed, 87.2% were published in domestic journals. These probably will never reach the international scientific community. From the articles published in Brazil, 56.8% were review and opinion articles, while from the articles published in international journals, 69.8% were research articles. Publications in both Brazilian and international journals included few prospective research studies and research reports dealing with bipolar disorder and cocaine use. On the other hand, alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder were the most commonly studied clinical fields published both in domestic and in international psychiatric journals.

Keywords: Journals

Ugolini, D. and Casilli, C. (2003), The visibility of Italian journals. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 345-355.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 345.pdf

Abstract: The main purpose of this study was to analyze the Italian journals indexed in the 2000 edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) published by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) (Philadelphia, USA). The performance and the visibility of these journals were evaluated in terms of Impact Factor (IF), mean IF from citing journals and cited journals, and self-citing and self-cited rates.

Seventy-three Italian journals were indexed in the JCR, 14 of which achieved an IF equal to or higher than one. Most citing journals were European and American, thus showing a fairly good visibility of the articles published in the 14 journals analyzed. The self-citing and self-cited rates showed a wide variation. The journal that appeared to perform best was the Journal of High Energy Physics, an electronic publication whose success seemingly confirms Internet circulation as an effective means to enhance the visibility and consequently the quality, in term of citations, of a journal.

Italy’s low overall expenditure on research & development (R&D) and low number of researchers compared to countries with longstanding high publishing standards and traditions are no doubt partly to blame for its poor performance in scientific publishing.

Keywords: Impact

? Glänzel, W. and Schubert, A. (2003), A new classification scheme of science fields and subfields designed for scientometric evaluation purposes. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 357-367.

Full Text: 2003\Scientometrics56, 357.pdf

Abstract: A two-level hierarchic system of fields and subfields of the sciences, social sciences and arts & humanities is proposed. The system was specifically designed for scientometric (evaluation) purposes with the ultimate goal of classifying every single document into a well-defined category. This goal was achieved using a three-step iterative process. The basic concepts and some preliminary results are presented.

Keywords: Item Subject Classification

Al-Qallaf, C.L. (2003), Citation patterns in the Kuwaiti journal Medical Principles and Practice: The first 12 years, 1989-2000. Scientometrics, 56 (3), 369-382.

Full Text: S\Scientometrics56, 369.pdf

Abstract: This study investigates the citation patterns in the journal, Medical Principles and Practice from its inception in 1989 through 2000 (volumes 1-9). The data set includes 4740 references appended to the 221 original research articles. All of the citations were entered into a ProCite database for analysis. Specifically, this study addresses: (1) bibliometric patterns of cited works in terms of publication format, subject scatter, authorship characteristics, age of citations, geographic distribution, and language distribution, (2) productivity of journal titles, (3) the role of self-citation, and (4) how selected bibliometric indicators apply. Some of the findings include: journal articles are most frequently cited, English language publications dominate the literature, there is a trend of multiple authorship, and the pattern of aging is below the norm for medical literature. The results of the study can provide a benchmark to measure the user behavior of a particular group of researchers as well as for the provision of collection development and management decisions.

Keywords: Reference Accuracy, Biologists

Thelwall, M., Tang, R. and Price, L. (2003), Linguistic patterns of academic Web use in Western Europe. Scientometrics,