Personal Research Database

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 183.pdf

Abstract: This study demonstrates that the choice of search strategy for article identification has an impact on evaluation and policy analysis of research areas. We have assessed the scientific production in two areas at one research institution during a ten-year period. We explore the recall and precision of three article identification strategies: journal classifications, keywords and authors. Our results show that the different search strategies have varying recall (0.38-1.00) and precision (0.50-1.00). In conclusion, uncritical analysis based on rudimentary article identification strategies may lead to misinterpretation of the development of research areas, and thus provide incorrect data for decision-making.

Keywords: European-Union, Research

? Must, Ü. (2006), ‘New ‘countries in Europe - Research, development and innovation strategies vs bibliometric data. Scientometrics, 66 (2), 241-248.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 241.pdf

Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to observe to what extent research priorities set in R&D policy strategy documents are supported with publication and citation data, delivered from ISI databases. As supporting background information the results of questionnaire sent to the Committee of Senior Officials of the Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research are used.

Keywords: Collaboration, Indicators, Research

? Calero, C., Buter, R., Valdés, C.C. and Noyons, E. (2006), How to identify research groups using publication analysis: an example in the field of nanotechnology. Scientometrics, 66 (2), 365-376.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 365.pdf

Abstract: We present a new bibliometric approach to identify research groups in a particular research field. With a combination of bibliometric mapping techniques and network analysis we identify and classify clusters of authors to represent research groups. In this paper we illustrate the application and potential of this approach and present two types of outcomes: actual research groups and potential research groups. The former enables us to define research groups beyond the organizational structure. The latter may be used to identify potential partners for collaboration. Our approach is a starting point to deal with the complex issue of research groups in a changing structure of scientific research.

Keywords: Network, Research

? Buter, R.K., Noyons, E.C.M., Van Mackelenbergh, M. and Laine, T. (2006), Combining concept maps and bibliometric maps: First explorations. Scientometrics, 66 (2), 377-387.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 377.pdf

Abstract: Bibliometric maps of science are a well-established research subject. But their adoption as a science policy support tool is lacking. We think this is because the user does not immediately comprehend a map and (as a result) is not enticed into using it. To help this comprehension, we propose the use of “ qualitative maps “: an umbrella term for diverse tools such as concept maps and mental maps. We developed a tool that interfaces between a qualitative map and a bibliometric map which lets the user create a correspondence between the distinct vocabularies of the maps. We also conducted two user studies: the first explored the combined use of bibliometric and qualitative maps and the second the preferred format of the map and the word-usage in the description of its elements.

Keywords: Networks, Research, Science

? Cahlík, T. and Jiřina, M. (2006), Law of cumulative advantages in the evolution of scientific fields. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 441-449.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 441.pdf

Abstract: The evolution of scientific fields analyzed by co-word analysis and presented in strategic diagrams is simulated based on the law of cumulative advantages - the probability of a new tie between two keywords depends positively on the frequencies in which both keywords have taken part already. The results we get from simulations are compared with the results of real scientific field evolution. We consider the high correspondence of both to be a proof of the working of the law of cumulative advantages in the development of scientific fields and we believe that our research opens new possibilities for predictions of the development of scientific fields.

Keywords: Economics

? Ackermann, E. (2006), Indicators of failed information epidemics in the scientific journal literature: A publication analysis of Polywater and Cold Nuclear Fusion. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 451-466.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 451.pdf

Abstract: A literature review uncovered six distinctive indicators of failed information epidemics in the scientific journal literature: (1) presence of seminal papers(s), (2) rapid growth, decline in author frequency, (3) multi-disciplinary research, (4) epidemic growth, decline in journal publication frequency, (5) predominance of rapid communication journal publications, and (6) increased multi-authorship. These indicators were applied to journal publication data from two known failed information epidemics, Polywater and Cold Nuclear Fusion. Indicators 1-4 were distinctive of the failed epidemics, Indicator 6 was not, and Indicator 5 might be. Further bibliometric study of these five indicators in the context of other epidemic literatures needed.

Keywords: Anomalous Water, Field, Growth, Science, Superstring Theory

? Miguel-Dasit, A., Marti-Bonmati, L., Aleixandre, R., Sanfeliu, P. and Valderrama, J.C. (2006), Publications resulting from Spanish radiology meeting abstracts: Which, where and who. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 467-480.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 467.pdf

Abstract: Many abstracts submitted to medical meetings never come to full publication in peer-reviewed journals. From the 2,992 abstracts presented at the 1994-1998 Spanish Congresses of Radiology, 464 (15%) were published as full articles in journals covered by the Medline and IME (Aindice Medico Espanol), the Spanish medical database. The publication rate of oral presentations was higher than that of posters (18% versus 13%). Collaboration between radiologists and clinicians and between radiologists from different institutions increased full publication (21% and 27%, respectively) compared to abstracts from just one institution (14%). Therefore, oral presentations, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration in the abstract predicted full publication.

Keywords: Authorship, Collaboration, Fate, Journals, Rates, Scientometric Analysis, Society Meetings, Subsequent Publication

? van Zeebroeck, N., De la Potterie, B.V. and Han, W. (2006), Issues in measuring the degree of technological specialisation with patent data. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 481-492.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 481.pdf

Abstract: This paper analyses several issues that arise when measuring technological specialisation with patent data. Three starting choices are required regarding the data source, the statistical measure and the sectoral aggregation level. We show that the measure is highly sensitive to the data source and to the level of sectoral aggregation. The statistical analysis further suggests that the most stable and reliable measures of technological specialization are obtained with patents applied at the EPO, with Gini or C20 as statistical measure and the 4-digits aggregation level of the IPC classification system.

Keywords: 27 Science Areas, 50 Nations, Scientometric Weight, Statistics

? Cincera, M., De la Potterie, B.V. and Veugelers, R. (2006), Assessing the foreign control of production of technology: The case of a small open economy. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 493-512.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 493.pdf

Abstract: International R&D activities have grown significantly over the last two decades. Both the number of actors involved, as well as the importance of the technological activity carried out abroad, has considerably increased. We aim to quantify the international generation of knowledge for the case of Belgium, using indicators based on EPO and USPTO patent data (1978-2001). We distinguish among Belgian applicants, affiliates of foreign firms located in Belgium as well as Belgian based firms with affiliates abroad. This approach allows to improve existing indicators of internationalisation of technology based on patent data. The results are consistent with what can be expected for a small open economy as Belgium. A large part of patents with Belgian inventors are assigned to Belgian affiliates of foreign firms. Hence our more complete indicator of foreign ownership gives a substantially higher foreign control of Belgian inventors. Relatively more knowledge generated by Belgian inventors flows out of the country towards foreign owners of technology, than that knowledge generated abroad is owned by Belgian patent applicants. But the share of foreign inventors to Belgian assigned patents is considerably increasing over time, especially in the subcategory of Belgian firms with foreign affiliates.

Keywords: Corporation, Globalization, Internationalization, Knowledge, Multinational-Enterprises, Organization, Patent Statistics, Patterns, Research-and-Development

? Lin, M.H., Chen, L.K., Hwang, S.J., Weiss, B.D., Chou, L.F. and Chen, T.J. (2006), The impact of impact factor on small specialties: A case study of family medicine in Taiwan. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 513-520.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 513.pdf

Abstract: The Science Citation Index (SCI) with its coverage of journals has been forming a criterion for the performance assessment of researchers worldwide. If the journals of a specialty were under-proportionally indexed, its development in research could be distorted in the long term. A MEDLINE-based bibliometric analysis of research output by family medicine departments in Taiwan from 1990 to 2003 might help to provide some evidence of the influence of SCI on the developing disciplines.

Keywords: Publications

? Sombatsompop, N., Kositchaiyong, A., Markpin, T. and Inrit, S. (2006), Scientific evaluations of citation quality of international research articles in the SCI database: Thailand case study. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 521-535.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 521.pdf

Abstract: Quantitative and qualitative scientific evaluations of the research performance of Thai researchers were carried out with regards to their international publications and citations in four different subject categories, namely Clinical Medicine, Chemistry, Material Sciences, and Engineering. This work used citations to publications of Thai researchers in the Science Citation Index (SCI) database during 1998-2002 as a data source. The calculations and comparisons of article impact factors (AIF), position impact factors (PIF) and journal impact factors (JIF) were attempted for quantitative evaluation.The positions and significance levels (cited contents) of the citations were considered for qualitative assessment.For quantitative evaluation, the highest article quantity and number of times cited were given by Thai researchers in Clinical Medicine, the lowest being for Material Sciences. Clinical Medicine had the highest AIF value, while Engineering exhibited the lowest. Each article by Thai researchers was found to be cited more than once within a citing article, especially articles in Clinical Medicine. For qualitative assessment, most articles from Thai scholars were cited in Introduction and Results & Discussion sections of the citing articles. Only non-Thai researchers in Clinical Medicine preferred to use Discussion from Thais’ articles for discussion of their work whereas those in Chemistry, Material Sciences and Engineering were referred as general references. Less than 1.5% of research works of Thai scholars were cited as ‘the pioneer ‘for the research communities of the subject categories of interest.

Keywords: Impact Factors, Journal Impact

? Egghe, L., Rao, I.K.R. and Sahoo, B.B. (2006), Proof of a conjecture of Moed and Garfield on authoritative references and extension to non-authoritative references. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 537-549.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 537.pdf

Abstract: In a recent paper [H. F. Moed, e. Garfield: In basic science the percentage of ‘Authoritative ‘References decreases as bibliographies become shorter. Scientometrics 60 (3) (2004) 295-303] The authors show, experimentally, the validity of the statement in the title of their paper. In this paper we give a general informetric proof of it, under certain natural conditions. The proof is given both in the discrete and the continuous setting. An easy corollary of this result is that the fraction of non-authoritative references increases as bibliographies become shorter. This finding is supported by a set of data of the journal information processing and management (2002 + 2003) With respect to the fraction of conference proceedings articles in reference lists.

Keywords: Science

? Uzun, A. (2006), Science and technology policy in Turkey. National strategies for innovation and change during the 1983-2003 period and beyond. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 551-559.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 551.pdf

Abstract: An evaluation of Turkey’s science and technology (S & T) policy in the last two decades has been made by using various indicators of S & T and technological innovation. National trends in inputs for research and development (R & D) activities, publication output and patent data have been studied for the implications of the S & T policy from 1983 to 2003. Some of the findings on the outcomes of policy measures in terms of inputs to R & D and publication output are as follows: (1) Total R & D expenditure, as percent of gross domestic product (GDP), increased from 0.32% in 1990 to 0.67% in 2002, (2) the fraction of R & D in the total expenditure for technological innovation increased from 6.6% in 1995-1997 to 29.2% in 1998-2000, and (3) the number of papers in the journals covered in the Science Citation Index (SCI) of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) increased from 464 in 1983 to 12160 in 2003 - a more than 26-fold increase in the last two decades.

Keywords: Energy, Manufacturing-Industries

? Ball, R. and Tunger, D. (2006), Bibliometric analysis - A new business area for information professionals in libraries? Scientometrics, 66 (3), 561-577.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 561.pdf

Abstract: Supplying library users with literature by a seamless linking of media is the goal of (scientific) libraries. By the digitization of primary and secondary data and the convergence of products and providers, libraries have already come very close to achieving this ideal. A digital library is the realization of this goal. However, many librarians are in danger of running out of imagination. What will come after the digital library? Will information professionals still be needed? What services can libraries offer? Bibliometric analysis is an example of new business areas in libraries. This paper will discuss what shape this service could take in practice, who needs it and what target groups exist in the scientific environment. Concrete examples of bibliometric analysis from the Central Library of Research Centre Julich will round off the overview.

? Süssmuth, B., Steininger, M. and Ghio, S. (2006), Towards a European economics of economics: Monitoring a decade of top research and providing some explanation. Scientometrics, 66 (3), 579-612.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics66, 579.pdf

Abstract: This study documents a decade of mainstream research output by European economics institutions. In contrast to previous European economics departmental rankings, we investigate the changing pattern of the ranking over two subperiods and a total decade. The validity of our bibliometric approach is demonstrated by a comparison with gradings of UK economic departments in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). We also provide some explanation of the ranking based on regional factors and institutional features. Strong evidence for the ‘institutional oligopoly’ of editors and authors hypothesis is found. However, in a dynamic context this departmental concentration of authorship and editorial board membership does not represent a ‘closed shop’. We find several departments entering the centre stage of economic mainstream for the first time towards the end of the 1990s.

Keywords: Authors, Core Journals, Journal Gatekeepers, Ourselves, Ranking, UK

? Jin, B.H., Rousseau, R. and Sun, X.X. (2006), Key Labs and Open Labs in the Chinese scientific research system: Their role in the national and international scientific arena. Scientometrics, 67 (1), 3-14.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 3.pdf

Abstract: Chinese science has developed rapidly over the latest fifteen years. It is said that it is now in a quantitative expansion phase. A series of programmes extending over a period of twenty years has resulted in more than 160 Key Labs and nearly 400 Open Labs at present. The organization and evaluation of this system of labs is one of the strategic measures for scientific resource reorganization in China. The role played by these labs is analysed in this article using data front the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) and the Science Citation Index (SCI). Nowadays almost one quarter of all internationally oriented Chinese publications originate front these labs. The same is true for citations received by Chinese scientists in the SCI. Comparisons between SCI-based and CSCD-based performance results show that the relative academic impact of Key Labs and Open Labs is more international than domestic. Key Labs have a higher total production and receive more citations than Open Labs. Yet their impact, measured as citations per publication, is very similar. We conclude that when it comes to impact on the international scene, these labs have not yet led to a big step forward for Chinese science as a whole. The fact that in the year 2004 a new evaluation procedure has been put in place means that the Chinese scientific authorities have recognized this fact and are dealing with it.

Keywords: Journals, Science

? Hargens, L.L. and Herting, J.R. (2006), Analyzing the association between referees’ recommendations and editors’ decisions. Scientometrics, 67 (1), 15-26.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 15.pdf

Abstract: We use a method that captures the intrinsic metrics of variables in a cross-tabulation to analyze data on the association between referee recommendations and editorial decisions at two scholarly journals. The method enables researchers to (1) determine the number of latent dimensions needed to account for this association, and (2) estimate scale values for both the referee-recommendation and the editorial-decision categories. We show that one latent dimension is sufficient to account for the association at each journal, and that both referee-recommendation categories and editorial-decision categories have scale values on the dimension that are consistent with their ostensible meanings.

Keywords: Cross-Classified Data, Manuscript, Models

? Lazega, E., Mounier, L., Jourda, M.T. and Stofer, R.L. (2006), Organizational vs. personal social capital in scientists’ performance: A multi-level network study of elite French cancer researchers (1996-1998). Scientometrics, 67 (1), 27-44.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 27.pdf

Abstract: The difference between individual social capital and organizational (or corporate) social capital has been an important topic of research in sociology during the past decade. The existence of this difference between two forms of social capital evokes an old question in a new manner what matters most in explaining individual actors’ performance? Is it personal social or collective resources provided by the organization to which the individuals belong and in which they work? In this paper we provide a preliminary answer to this question based on a multi-level network study of the top ‘elites’ in French cancer research during 1996-1998. By multi-level we mean that we reconstituted both the inter-organizational networks of exchange between most French laboratories carrying out cancer research in 1999, simultaneously, we reconstituted key social networks of the top individual elites in cancer research in France during that same year. Given our ‘linked design’ (i.e., knowing to which laboratory each researcher belongs), we were able to disentangle the effects of structural properties of the laboratory front the effects of characteristics of the individual researcher (including structural ones) on the latter’s performance. Performance was measured by a score based on the impact factor of the journal in which each researcher published. Our results show that organizational social capital matters more, and more consistently, than individual relational capital in explaining variations in performance by French top cancer researchers.

Keywords: Productivity, Science

? Buela-Casal, G., Perakakis, P., Taylor, M. and Checa, P. (2006), Measuring internationality: Reflections and perspectives on academic journals. Scientometrics, 67 (1), 45-65.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 45.pdf

Abstract: Internationality as a concept is being applied ambiguously, particularly in the world of academic journal publication. Although different criteria are used by scientometrists in order to measure internationality and to supplement its minimal literal meaning, the present study suggests that no single criterion alone is sufficient. This paper surveys, critically-assesses and extends the existing measures of internationality in the context of academic publishing and identifies those criteria that are most clearly resolved and amenable to quantitative analysis. When applied, however, to a case study of four thematically-connected journals from the field of Health and Clinical Psychology using descriptive statistics and the Gini Coefficient, the measurement of internationality using these criteria was found to be ambiguous. We conclude that internationality is best viewed as a mathematically fuzzy entity and that a single measure Internationality Index, constructed from a combination of suitably weighted criteria, is the only way to unambiguously quantify the degree of internationality.

Keywords: Bibliometric Analysis, Citations, Impact Factor, Patterns, Psychology Journals, Publication, Research Collaboration, Scientific Journals, Spanish, Universities

? Glänzel, W., Leta, J. and Thijs, B. (2006), Science in Brazil. Part 1: A macro-level comparative study. Scientometrics, 67 (1), 67-86.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 67.pdf

Abstract: In the present paper, the evolution of publication activity and citation impact in Brazil is studied for the period 1991-2003. Besides the analysis of trends in publication and citation patterns and of national publication profiles, an attempt is made to find statistical evidences of the relation between international co-authorship and both research profile and citation impact in the Latin American region. Despite similarities and strong co-publication links with the other countries in the region, Brazil has nonetheless a specific research profile, and forms the largest potential in the region.

Keywords: Author Self-Citations, British Science, Collaboration, Countries, Decline, Fields, Indicators, Visibility

? Leta, J., Glänzel, W. and Thijs, B. (2006), Science in Brazil. Part 2: Sectoral and institutional research profiles. Scientometrics, 67 (1), 87-105.

Full Text: 2006\Scientometrics67, 87.pdf

Abstract: In the present study a bibliometric meso-level analysis of Brazilian scientific research is conducted. Both sectoral and publication profile of Brazilian universities and research institutions are studied. Publication dynamics and changing profiles allow to the conclusion that powerful growth of science in Brazil goes with striking structural changes. By contrast, citation-based indicators reflect less spectacular developments.

Keywords: Industry-Government Relations

? Izsak, J. (2006), Some practical aspects of fitting and testing the Zipf-Mandelbrot model - A short essay. Scientometrics,