Personal Research Database

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 235.pdf

Abstract: We present an application of the h-index in a context which does not include publications or citations. Rankings of library classification categories using the h-, g-and R-index are shown to be statistically equivalent. Moreover these indices seem to have the same discriminating power, as measured by the Gini concentration index. We further present best fitting Zipf-Mandelbrot functions for the h-distributions of classifications in different libraries.

Keywords: Application, Citations, Classification, Concentration, Context, Functions, h Index, h-Index, Index, Indices, Power, Publications, R-Index, Ranking, Scientists

? Markusova, V.A., Jansz, M., Libkind, A.N., Libkind, I. and Varshavsky, A. (2009), Trends in Russian research output in post-Soviet era. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 249-260.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 249.pdf

Abstract: Recently, the Russian government has ordered evaluation and reform of the basic research system. As a consequence, the number of research staff at the Russian Academy of Sciences will be reduced by 20% by 2007. The basis for research evaluation and institute budgeting will be bibliometric indicators. In view of these changes we look at the Russian publication output and argue that (1)publication output and citedness have to be considered in relation to the level of expenditure on R&D bibliometric indicators depend strongly on the database used (ISI’s databases are biased) and their interpretation can be confusing, better coverage of Russian publications or a Russian Science Citation Index are needed. Also, research results are communicated in more ways than paper publications. policy makers have misused ISI statistics to demonstrate “a low level” of Russian R&D. Our paper is a part of a project designed to trace R&D development in a transition economy and knowledge transfer from basic research to innovation. Results of our project shed light on science policy and the social issues due to the indiscriminate introduction of quantitative indicators.

Keywords: Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Changes, Citation, Coverage, Database, Databases, Development, Economy, Evaluation, Government, Indicators, Innovation, ISI, Knowledge, Knowledge Transfer, Policy, Publication, Publications, R&D, Reform, Research, Research Evaluation, Research Results, Russian, Science, Science Citation Index, Science Policy, Social, Social Issues, Statistics, Trace, Transfer, Transition, Transition Economy

? Noyons, E.C.M. and Calero-Medina, C. (2009), Applying bibliometric mapping in a high level science policy context. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 261-275.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 261.pdf

Abstract: Bibliometric maps have the potential to become useful tools for science policy issues. The complexity of the structures, however, makes it often very difficult to interpret the results. In this study, we present a case study in which we use the bibliometric mapping results to address a high level science policy issue of research efficiency. By revealing the results in an alternative way, we increased the utility of bibliometric mapping within the science policy context. Moreover, by including additional information to the entities in the landscape, we provide useful input for the research potential.

Keywords: Alternative, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Mapping, Case Study, Complexity, Context, Efficiency, Information, Landscape, Mapping, Policy, Policy Issues, Potential, Research, Science, Science Policy, Utility

Onyancha, O.B. and Ocholla, D.N. (2009), Is HIV/AIDS in Africa distinct? What can we learn from an analysis of the literature? Scientometrics, 79 (2), 277-296.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 277.pdf

Abstract: This paper investigates, through an analysis of the published literature, the notion held by several people that HIV/AIDS in Africa is unique. Using co-word and multidimensional scaling (MDS) analyses of MEDLINE-extracted HIV/AIDS records, this study used five lists of terms to investigate the related-ness of various factors and diseases to HIV/AIDS. The lists consisted of risk factors, sexually transmitted diseases, tropical diseases, opportunistic diseases, and pre-disposing factors. Data (i.e. words.txt - consisting of keywords/phrases describing the aforementioned factors and diseases, and text.txt - containing HIV/AIDS papers’ titles) were analyzed using TI computer-aided application software, developed by Leydesdorff. Results revealed that several factors and diseases that are pre-dominant in Sub-Saharan Africa exhibited strong and high pattern of co-occurrences with HIV/AIDS, implying close associated-ness with the epidemic in the region. Further areas of research, whose results will be used to make conclusive observations and arguments concerning the uniqueness of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, are recommended.

Keywords: Africa, Analyses, Analysis, Application, Co-Word Analysis, Developed, Diseases, Epidemic, Factors, HIV, AIDS, Literature, MDS, Multidimensional, Multidimensional Scaling, Notion, Papers, Pattern, Predisposing Factors, Records, Research, Risk, Risk Factors, Scaling, Science, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Software, Sub-Saharan Africa, TI, Tropical

? Pouris, A. and Pouris, A. (2009), The state of science and technology in Africa (2000-2004): A scientometric assessment. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 297-309.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 297.pdf

Abstract: This article reports for first time the state of science and technology in the African Continent on the basis of two scientometric indicators - number of research publications and number of patents awarded. Our analysis shows that Africa produced 68,945 publications over the 2000-2004 period or 1.8% of the World’s publications. In comparison India produced 2.4% and Latin America 3.5% of the World’s research. More detailed analysis reveals that research in Africa is concentrated in just two countries - South Africa and Egypt. These two counties produce just above 50% of the Continent’s publications and the top eight countries produce above 80% of the Continent’s research. Disciplinary analysis reveals that few African countries have the minimum number of scientists required for the functioning of a scientific discipline. Examination of the Continent’s inventive profile, as manifested in patents, indicates that Africa produces less than one thousand of the world’s inventions. Furthermore 88% of the Continent’s inventive activity is concentrated in South Africa. The article recommends that the African Governments should pay particular attention in developing their national research systems.

Keywords: Activity, Africa, African, America, Analysis, Assessment, Attention, Comparison, Counties, Developing, Egypt, First, Functioning, India, Indicators, Inventions, Latin America, Minimum, National, Patents, Publications, Research, Research Publications, Science, Science And Technology, Scientometric, South Africa, South-Africa, State, Systems, Technology, The State, Time

? Ramanana-Rahary, S., Zitt, M. and Rousseau, R. (2009), Aggregation properties of relative impact and other classical indicators: Convexity issues and the Yule-Simpson paradox. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 311-327.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 311.pdf

Abstract: Among classical bibliometric indicators, direct and relative impact measures for countries or other players in science are appealing and standard. Yet, as shown in this article, they may exhibit undesirable statistical properties, or at least ones that pose questions of interpretation in evaluation and benchmarking contexts. In this article, we address two such properties namely sensitivity to the Yule-Simpson effect, and a problem related to convexity. The Yule-Simpson effect can occur for direct impacts and, in a variant form, for relative impact, causing an apparent incoherence between field values and the aggregate (all-fields) value. For relative impacts, it may result in a severe form of ‘out-range’ of aggregate values, where a player’s relative impact shifts from ‘good’ to ‘bad’, or conversely. Out-range and lack of convexity in general are typical of relative impact indicators. Using empirical data, we suggest that, for relative impact measures, ‘out-range’ due to lack of convexity is not exceptional. The Yule-Simpson effect is less frequent, and especially occurs for small players with particular specialisation profiles.

Keywords: Benchmarking, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Citation, Data, Empirical, Evaluation, Field, General, Impact, Impacts, Indicators, International Scientific Collaboration, Journals, Problem, Profiles, Science, Sensitivity, Small, Standard, Statistical, Value, Values

? Romero-De-Pablos, A. and zagra-Caro, J.M. (2009), Internationalisation of patents by Public Research Organisations from a historical and an economic perspective. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 329-340.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 329.pdf

Abstract: Within the field of the organisation of science, concerns about how academics generate patents tend to focus on a single set of either national or international patents. The main aim of this research is to study both national and international patenting in order to understand their differences. We have approached this issue from both a historical and an economic perspective, using data from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the largest PRO in Spain. Three periods can be distinguished in the CSIC’s history, according to the political context, namely the dictatorship (1939-1975), the transition to democracy (1976-1986) and democracy (1987-to date). The prevailing legal and institutional framework has marked the way in which patenting by CSIC has evolved in each of these periods. The current situation is one in which there is strong internationalisation of patenting activity, and in this most-recent period we explore trends in some of the economic influences on patenting activity. We conclude that the political and normative context may shape the culture of international patenting at PROs like the CSIC and that increasing technological cooperation has supported this internationalisation. However, very often foreign partners are included in the application in order to extend protection abroad for commercial reasons, so their number may not be a good indicator of inventive activity.

Keywords: Activity, Application, Context, Cooperation, Csic, Culture, Data, Democracy, Economic, Field, Foreign, Framework, History, Indicator, Influences, Institutional, International, Internationalisation, Legal, National, Patents, Protection, Research, Science, Shape, Spain, Spanish, Transition, Trends, University

? Sandstrom, U. (2009), Research quality and diversity of funding: A model for relating research money to output of research. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 341-349.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 341.pdf

Abstract: We analyze the relation between funding and output using bibliometric methods with field normalized data. Our approach is to connect individual researcher data on funding from Swedish university databases to data on incoming grants using the specific personal ID-number. Data on funding include the person responsible for the grant. All types of research income are considered in the analysis yielding a project database with a high level of precision. Results show that productivity can be explained by background variables, but that quality of research is more or less un-related to background variables.

Keywords: Analysis, Approach, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Methods, Data, Database, Databases, Distributions, Diversity, Field, Funding, Income, Methods, Model, Person, Precision, Productivity, Publication Productivity, Quality, Quality of, Research, Scientists, Scientometric Indicators, Universities, University, Variables

? Shelton, R.D., Foland, P. and Gorelskyy, R. (2009), Do new SCI journals have a different national bias? Scientometrics, 79 (2), 351-363.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 351.pdf

Abstract: National shares of worldwide publications in the Science Citation Index (SCI) have shifted recently. The long-term decline in U.S. share accelerated in the mid-1990s, and now the EU has joined this decline. Not coincidentally, the shares of some countries have increased sharply, particularly those of China, S. Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. Since the SCI constantly adds new journals, one reason might be that newly added journals were more favorable to them. To test this, the database was partitioned into “old journals” (added before 1995) and “new journals,” added afterward. The analysis was done for eight of the 20 fields of science defined by the National Science Indicator CD. In some fields, new journals were indeed much more favorable to the Asians. In some fields, however, new journals were actually more favorable to the U.S. In aggregate over the eight fields analyzed, the size of this effect was too small to account for much of the sharp changes in national shares. Furthermore tests between old and new journals find that differences in most fields are not statistically significant. The results provide evidence that the SCI can be used to accurately track national publication changes over time.

Keywords: Analysis, Asians, Bias, CD, Changes, China, Citation, Database, EU, Evidence, Journals, Korea, Long Term, Long-Term, National, Publication, Publications, SCI, Science, Science Citation Index, Singapore, Size, Small, Taiwan, Tests, Time

? Small, H. and Upham, P. (2009), Citation structure of an emerging research area on the verge of application. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 365-375.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 365.pdf

Abstract: A case study of an emerging research area is presented dealing with the creation of organic thin film transistors, a subtopic within the general area called “plastic electronics.” The purpose of this case study is to determine the structural properties of the citation network that may be characteristic of the emergence, development, and application or demise of a research area. Research on organic thin film transistors is highly interdisciplinary, involving journals and research groups from physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. There is a clear path to industrial applications if certain technical problems can be overcome. Despite the applied nature and potential for patentable inventions, scholarly publications from both academia and industry have continued at a rapid pace through 2007. The question is whether the bibliometric indicators point to a decline in this area due to imminent commercialization or to insurmountable technical problems with these materials.

Keywords: Academia, Application, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Case Study, Chemistry, Citation, Citation Network, Development, Emergence, Emerging, Engineering, Film, General, Groups, Indicators, Industry, Interdisciplinary, Inventions, Journals, Network, Organic, Potential, Publications, Purpose, Rapid, Research, Science, Specialty, Structure, Thin Film

? Thijs, B. and Glänzel, W. (2009), A structural analysis of benchmarks on different bibliometrical indicators for European research institutes based on their research profile. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 377-388.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 377.pdf

Abstract: The present study is part of an ongoing project on clustering European research institutions according to their publication profiles. Using hierarchical clustering eight clusters have been found the optimum solution for the classification. Aim of the present study is a structural analysis for the evaluation of research performance of specialised and multidisciplinary institutions. A breakdown by subject fields is used to characterise field-specific peculiarities of individual clusters by bibliometric indicators and to allow comparison within the same and among different clusters. Finally, benchmarks can then be used to study national research performance on basis of the institutional classification.

Keywords: Analysis, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Classification, Clustering, Comparison, Evaluation, Indicators, Institutional, Institutions, Multidisciplinary, National, Performance, Profiles, Publication, Research, Research Performance, Self-Citation, Solution, Structural Analysis

? van Leeuwen, T.N. (2009), Strength and weakness of national science systems: A bibliometric analysis through cooperation patterns. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 389-408.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 389.pdf

Abstract: In this study we have focused on long term developments of various types of scientific publishing, and the field-normalized impact generated by these various types. The types of scientific output distinguished are output resulting from international cooperation, national cooperation, and single address publications, in which no apparent cooperation is found. A fourth type is distinguished by focusing on first authorship, within the international cooperation output. Changes in especially the share of a country’s output from first-authored international cooperation and the share of single address publications can be regarded as indicators of strength and/or weakness of a science system.

Keywords: Analysis, Authorship, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Analysis, Cooperation, First, Impact, Indicators, International, International Cooperation, International Scientific Collaboration, Long Term, Long-Term, National, Publications, Publishing, Science, Scientific Output, Strength, Systems, Term

? Vinkler, P. (2009), Introducing the Current Contribution Index for characterizing the recent, relevant impact of journals. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 409-420.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 409.pdf

Abstract: The Garfield (Impact) Factor characterizes the measure of the up to date specific contribution of scientific journals to the total impact of the journals in a special field. A new indicator (Current Contribution Index, CCI) was introduced in order to characterize the relative contribution of journals to recent, relevant knowledge of a corresponding field. The CC Index relates the number of citations received by a journal in a given year to the total number of citations obtained by all journals of the corresponding field in that year. Mean Garfield Factors and mean Current Contribution Indexes were calculated for some fields and several journals. No significant correlation was found between the Garfield Factor (GF) and Current Contribution Index (CCI) of journals. The ratios of the GF to CCI referring to the corresponding top 10, 20 or 50 per cent of the journals ranked by decreasing GF and CCI, strongly differ by field.

Keywords: Citations, Contribution, Correlation, Field, Impact, Indicator, Journal, Journals, Knowledge, Measure, Science, Scientific Journals, Scientometric Indicators

? Yang, L.Y., Morris, S.A. and Barden, E.M. (2009), Mapping institutions and their weak ties in a specialty: A case study of cystic fibrosis body composition research. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 421-434.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 421.pdf

Abstract: The paper demonstrates visualization technique that show the collaboration structure of institutions in the specialty and the researchers that function as weak ties among them. Institution names were extracted from the collection of papers and disambiguated using the Derwent Analytics (v1.2) software product. Institutions were clustered into collaboration groups based on their co-occurrence in papers. A crossmap of clustered institutions against research fronts, which were derived using bibliographic coupling analysis, shows the research fronts that specific institutions participate in, their collaborator institutions and the research fronts in which those collaborations occurred. A crossmap of institutions to author teams, derived from co-authorship analysis, reveals research teams in the specialty and their general institutional affiliation, and further identifies the researchers that function as weak ties and the institutions that they link. The case study reveals that the techniques introduced in this paper can be used to extract a large amount of useful information about institutions participating in a research specialty.

Keywords: Affiliation, Analysis, Bibliographic Coupling, Body Composition, Case Study, Co-Authorship, Coauthorship, Collaboration, Collaborations, Collection, Composition, Cystic Fibrosis, Fibrosis, Function, General, Groups, Information, Institutional, Institutions, Papers, Research, Research Collaboration, Research Fronts, Software, Specialty, Structure, Teams, Technique, Techniques, Visualization

? Yoshikane, F., Nozawa, T., Shibui, S. and Suzuki, T. (2009), An analysis of the connection between researchers’ productivity and their co-authors’ past attributions, including the importance in collaboration networks. Scientometrics, 79 (2), 435-449.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 435.pdf

Abstract: Although many studies have analyzed the “synchronic” correlation of properties between authors and their co-authors, the “diachronic” correlation of properties, i.e., the correlation between their subsequent and precedent activity, has not yet been sufficiently studied using quantitative methods. This study pays attention not only to productivity but also the importance in the collaboration network as a measure of the researcher’s activity, and clarifies whether there is any connection between (i) the researcher’s activity subsequent to a collaboration and (II) the collaborator’s precedent activity, aiming at deriving knowledge about the diachronic effect of collaborators.

Keywords: Activity, Analysis, Attention, Attributions, Authors, Co-Authors, Coauthorship Networks, Collaboration, Collaboration Networks, Correlation, Invisible-Colleges, Knowledge, Measure, Methods, Network, Networks, Patterns, Productivity, Quantitative Methods, Science, Scientific Collaboration, Students

? Tsay, M.Y. (2009), Citation analysis of Ted Nelson’s works and his influence on hypertext concept. Scientometrics, 79 (3), 451-472.

Full Text: 2009\Scientometrics79, 451.pdf

Abstract: This study investigates Ted Nelson’s works and the influence of his hypertext concept through citation analysis, including citation counting, characteristics of citing articles on language, document type, citing year, discipline, and citation content. The selection of the Nelson’s works was based on searching Library Literature & Information Science, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Google and Yahoo search engines. The citation data were compiled from the database of Web of Science. The results of the study reveal that hypertext has directly great impact on information retrieval and world wide web, therefore, the concept has had profound influence on information, library and computer science disciplines. Moreover, the influence of Nelson’s works spreads to other disciplines variously, especially on education, literature, business and economics, engineering, sociology, psychology, etc. The citation context analysis of citing articles on information and library science reveals that (1) definition, orientation and general introduction of hypertext, (2) relation of Vannevar Bush and Ted Nelson in terms of hypertext, (3) Nelson’s Xanadu system and its component of hypertext, (4) the application of hypertext in information science and library science are four most citing purpose.

Keywords: Analysis, Business, Citation, Computer Science, Context, Database, Discipline, Disciplines, Document, Economics, Education, Engineering, Hypermedia, Impact, Influence, Information, Information-Retrieval, Language, Libraries, Literature, Psychology, Science, Selection, Web

? Lopez-Illescas, C., Noyons, E.C.M., Visser, M.S., De Moya-Anegon, F. and Moed, H.F. (2009), Expansion of scientific journal categories using reference analysis: How can it be done and does it make a difference? Scientometrics,