Personal Research Database

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 37.pdf

? Yuthavong, Y., Phornsadja, K., Chungcharoen, A., Eisemon, T. and Davis, C. (1993), Communication strategies in tissue culture and seed research in Thailand. Scientometrics, 28 (1), 41-60.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 41.pdf

Abstract: Thailand has a growing demand for improved science-based technologies in the agricultural sector. Traditionally strong in agricultural research, Thailand is encouraging agricultural applications of biotechnology through focused research funding. This article provides a brief account of the status of scientific research in the Thai orchid and seed industries, and examines communication behavior of researchers and innovators in Thai universities, research institutions and firms. Researchers produce relatively few written communications in tissue culture and seed technologies, and technology diffusion relies mainly on personal interactions between the researchers, intermediaries, and users of innovations.

Keywords: Behavior, Biotechnology, Communication, Communications, Culture, Demand, Diffusion, Institutions, Research, Research Funding, Scientific Research, Sector, Technologies, Technology, Thailand, Universities

Rogers, L.A. and Anderson, J. (1993), A new approach to defining a multidisciplinary field of science: The case of cardiovascular biology. Scientometrics, 28 (1), 61-77.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 61.pdf

Abstract: This paper describes a new and objective method for tackling the problem of defining a multidisciplinary research area for bibliometric analysis. The test field was cardiovascular biology. A three stage process was adopted in setting a boundary around this research field: 1. Appropriate sections of a hierarchical subject classification scheme, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), were developed into a ‘MeSH filter’ through which papers indexed in MEDLINE were screened. 2. A panel of cardiovascular experts reviewed the core set of classification terms, identifying irrelevant and missing areas, facilitating the development of a more sophisticated ‘filter. 3. The definition was validated using publication lists from research departments with a known interest in cardiovascular research. This iterative process resulted in a definition of the field which captured basic and clinical research papers from the international biomedical research community and which was recognisable to experts in the field of cardiovascular research. Importantly, the field boundary also excluded publications which were not relevant to cardiovascular research. The process of involving experts in shaping the field definition also yielded two intangible, but key benefits: (a) it lent credibility to subsequent analyses, the results of which were to be presented to policy-makers in cardiovascular biology, and (b) it served to shape consensus among the cardiovascular experts on the full range of scientific disciplines that are relevant to their field. Analysis of international publishing in cardiovascular research revealed that whilst the UK and US dominate in total numbers of papers, the relative emphasis on cardiovascular research in these countries (as a proportion of all biomedical publishing) is actually quite low, and declining. Japan and Germany in contrast appear to give greater emphasis to cardiovascular research in their national portfolios of biome-dical science, and between 1988-1991 Japan established a marked increase in activity.

Keywords: Analysis, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Analysis, Biology, Biomedical, Biomedical Publishing, Biomedical Research, Cardiovascular, Classification, Clinical, Clinical Research, Community, Consensus, Credibility, Development, Germany, International, Japan, MEDLINE, Multidisciplinary, Papers, Publication, Publications, Publishing, Research, Science, UK, US

? Uzun, A., Menard, A. and Ozel, M.E. (1993), Citation status of Turkish physics publications in foreign-journals - A global analysis. Scientometrics, 28 (1), 79-87.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 79.pdf

Abstract: We have studied the citation rates and characteristics of 572 Turkish physics publications that appeared in the source journals listed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) for the period 1982-1990 to drive the following results: The papers appeared in a set of 94 journals, and 68% of the total output went to 21 of these, half of which are journals of high impact. On the average, papers from Turkey that appeared in the American and European journals are cited at rates higher than the corresponding “average” papers. There has been a substantial shift of Turkish papers from European journals to American journals over the last few years. These changes are an example of the process by which science in a less developed country becomes integrated into the word scientific community.

Keywords: Changes, Citation, Community, Drive, European Physics, Journals, Output, Papers, Publications, SCI, Science, Science Citation Index, Turkey

Notes: CCountry

Rinia, E.J., Delange, C. and Moed, H.F. (1993), Measuring national output in physics: Delimitation problems. Scientometrics, 28 (1), 89-110.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 89.pdf

Abstract: In a study of the Dutch publication output in physics we tested methods of delimitating fields by journal categories in the Science Citation Index (SCI) compared to the classification of individual publications into subfields in the subject specific database Physics Briefs (PHYS). Different methods of measuring national scientific output were compared as well. In this paper we report the main findings on these issues, based on a study of six selected subfields in physics. The main conclusion with respect to the use of different classification methods is that in most of the selected fields in physics the method which delimitates fields by journal categories yields an incomplete picture of the output of a country. Particularly because this method neglects a considerable number of articles published in general journals. With respect to different methods of counting publications it was corroborated by the Dutch data in Physics briefs that: 1. so-called ‘integer counted’ world shares are very much influenced by the degree of ‘internationalisation’ and 2. ‘first author counting’ gives a satisfactory approximation of ‘fractional counting’. Citation indicators based on ‘first author counting’, however, may be distorted in fields with a large fraction of international co-authored publications

Keywords: Bibliometric Assessment, Classification, Cooperation, Database, First, Indicators, International, Journal, Journals, Methods, Publication, Publications, SCI, Science, Science Citation Index, Scientific Output, UK Scientific Performance

? Tijssen, R. (1993), A scientometric cognitive study of neural network research: Expert mental maps versus bibliometric maps. Scientometrics, 28 (1), 111-136.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 111.pdf

Abstract: This paper reports on a quantitative analytical methodology which deals with perceptions of scientific experts regarding the intellectual shape and contents (‘cognitive structure’) of their scientific domain. This study examines the method’s utility for studying expert views in general, and, more specifically, its strengths and weaknesses as a tool for improving validation studies of bibliometric maps involving subject experts. The main premise is that expert views are based on their internal knowledge structures (‘mental schemes’) of which relevant features can be captured in quantitative data. This approach allows a rigorous and systematic way of studying mental schemes across subject experts. Spatial representations of their data (‘mental maps’) provide insight in properties underlying those knowledge structures. Data from different experts are reconciled to construct a ‘common’ mental map which displays a group view. This study includes a test to establish the validity of individual mental maps and common mental maps. The methodology is applied to the views of 14 researchers in the field of neural network research and related areas. Key-findings are: (i) mental maps can provide valid representations of expert mental schemes, (II) experts sharing the same subject field are more likely to share views, (iii) expert judgements of bibliometric maps are affected by the structure of their own mental schemes, as well as (iv) by their views regarding the utility of those maps, and (v) common mental maps and a bibliometric co-word map based on the same set of items differ significantly, showing a resemblance on main features only.

Keywords: Bibliometric, Foundations, Information-Science, Knowledge, Methodology, Network, Neural Network, Research, Structure, Utility, Validation, Validity

Braun, T., Glänzel, W. and Schubert, A. (1993), Scientometric indicators datafiles. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 137-150.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 137.pdf

Abstract: The structure of a comprehensive set of publication output and citation impact indicators is reviewed. Hints to the application of the indicators are given in one, two and more dimensions.

Keywords: Basic Research, Citation, Countries, Facts, Figures, Indicators, Life Sciences, Newest Version, Physics, Publication, Publication Output, Relative Citation Impact, Structure, World Flash

? Norris, R.P. (1993), Authorship patterns in CJNR - 1970-1991. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 151-158.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 151.pdf

Abstract: This article looks at authorship patterns in CJNR from 1970 to 1991. A tally was taken of the number of single, double and multiple authorships for each year which, in turn, were combined into one seven year and three five year intervals. Frequency counts were converted into percentages, chi-squares were computed, and author/article ratios were calculated for each year. Results revealed a decrease in the number of single authored articles and an increase in the number of co- and multiple authored articles from 1982 on. The author/article ratios fluctuated somewhat, but, overall showed marked increases. It was tentatively concluded that nursing is not unlike other disciplines, that it too is experiencing changes in authorship patterns. Reasons for the changes are tendered along with suggestions for further research.

Keywords: Authorship, Changes, Clinical Research, Intervals, Journals, Multiple Authorship, Nursing, Research, Trend

? Souza, G.S., Cruz, E.R. and Quirino, T.R. (1993), The measurement and assessment of quality in agricultural-research institutions. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 159-182.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 159.pdf

Abstract: We present the measure of quality introduced by the review team of Embrapa to evaluate its research projects. The quality measurement scheme comprises four different dimensions (External Validity, Internal Validity, Institutional Adequacy, and Formal Adequacy). The quality measurements are used as dependent variables in a multivariate effort to identify important factors necessary to improve overall as well as specific quality aspects.

Keywords: Measurement, Quality, Research, Review

? Chen, Y.S., Chong, P.P. and Tong, Y.G. (1993), Theoretical foundation of the 80/20 rule. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 183-204.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 183.pdf

Abstract: A rigorous analysis of the 80/20 rule is made using an index for the observed values of the variables. Three important findings are identified. First, a sufficient condition is provided for Burrell’s inverse relationship between minimum holdings and average circulation rate. Second, an indexed version of Lotka’s law is used to derive a sufficient condition for Egghe’s finding on the 80/20 rule. Third, through the computer simulations of the Simon-Yule model of Lotka’s law, we identify the entry rate of new holdings as well as the number of circulations when the entry rate is a decreasing function to be crucial factors for the pattern of the 80/20-type curve.

Keywords: Analysis, Bradford Law, Function, Index Approach, Law, Model, Zipf Law

? Willems, J. and Woudstra, E. (1993), The use by biologists and engineers of nonspecialist information-sources and its relation to their social involvement. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 205-216.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 205.pdf

Abstract: Earlier investigations showed that many academics obtain information pertaining their own field of science from the general massmedia, such as newspapers. Who are those scientists? Is there a relation between the social engagement and the use of non-specialist information sources? We investigated the social engagement of biologists and engineers in correlation to their use of general massmedia in the Netherlands. Biologists find their work social significant, most of engineers do not. Many biologists are members of non-specialist organizations, subscribe to non-specialist journals about science and participate in non-scientific activities related to their work. Most engineers do not. Many members of both groups (biologists and engineers) use non-specialist informations sources like general science magazines and national newspapers to obtain information about their own field of science. And most biologists and engineers did so to obtain information about new developments in their own field and in related fields. We did not find any correlation between the social engagement of scientists and their use of non-specialist information sources. Most scientists use them.

Keywords: Information, Journals, Science, The Netherlands, Work

? Lewison, G. (1993), The contribution of European-Community less favored region research outputs to economic and social cohesion. Scientometrics, 28 (2), 217-229.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 217.pdf

Abstract: Data are presented on the scientific output from 1985-92 of the Less Favoured Regions (LFRs) of the European Community as recorded in the Science Citation Index. The use of postcodes makes it easier to identify papers from LFRs and they are now nearly universal (over 95%). LFR output has grown since 1985 from 5% to nearly 8% of the EC total, and there is much more trans-national co-authorship between ones in different countries though it is still at a low level. There is also increasing co-publication between scientists from LFRs and the rest of the EC (More Favoured Regions, MFRs), both within the same countries and trans-nationally. Selective retrieval of papers by their address keywords shows that the LFRs are relatively strong in the physical, rather than the life, sciences and that the major areas of growth in recent years have been engineering, earth/space sciences and physics.

Keywords: Co-Authorship, Coauthorship, EC, Growth, Indicators, Life, Papers, Science Citation Index, Sciences, Scientific Output

? Bonitz, M. (1993), Schubert, Andras Wins the 1993 Derek-John-Desollaprice-Award. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 233-235.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 233.pdf

? Hall, D.H. (1993), The science-industry interface in the petroleum-industry - Correlation of time-series of indicators and their spectra, and growth modeling. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 237-286.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 237.pdf

Abstract: Petroleum production and exploration, used as petroleum industry indicators, and accumulation of petroleum-related geoscience literature, used as a science indicator, were compared by several means to gauge the degree of interaction between science and the industry in the period 1934-1990. Methods of comparison employed were: time domain correlations and crosscorrelation, correlations of spectra using coherence and crosspower spectra, and growth-modelling of the indicators. A fifty-year exploration cycle was found, beginning about 1945. Principal features of this cycle seem to coincide with prominent features in the time series for geoscience literature, and both of these variables are correlated with petroleum production. All three variables appear to have been determined ultimately by economic and political events which affected the petroleum industry. All of them show long-period cycles which coincide with the fourth Kondratiev cycle and the beginning of the fifth Kondratiev. The longest time series used (petroleum production in the United States, 1860-1990) shows long-period cycles matching the third, fourth and fifth Kondratiev cycles.

Keywords: Comparison, Correlations, Geoscience, Indicator, Indicators, Interaction, Literature, Modeling, Science, United States

? Gupta, D.K. (1993), Collaborative research trend in exploration geophysics. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 287-296.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 287.pdf

Abstract: A comprehensive database, the Cumulative Index of Geophysics for the period 1936-1985 was analysed to study collaborative and authorship trends in exploration geophysics. A total of 3,417 publications in Geophysics and 1,318 publications in Geophysical Prospecting comprise the database. About 56.2% of all the publications were found to be single-authored items. The number of single-authored items has been gradually declining from 1936 to 1985. Authorship per item for the period was found to be 1.6 which has increased from 1.17 per item during 1936-1950 to 1.9 per item during 1981-1985. The results of this study reveal that like in any other discipline in sciences, collaboration in exploration geophysics research has also been increasing during the period 1936-1985.

Keywords: Authorship, Collaboration, Database, Publications, Research, Sciences, Scientific Co-Authorship, Trends

? Sancho, R., Bernal, G. and Galvez, L. (1993), Approach to the Cuban scientific activity by using publication based quantitative indicators (1985-1989). Scientometrics, 28 (3), 297-312.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 297.pdf

Abstract: An estimation about Cuban scientific productivity based on output indicators during the period 1985-1989 is provided. Nine international bibliographic databases and three Cuban repertories have been used. Except for journal articles, no other type of Cuban document gets worldwide recognition as they are not generally included in the international databases. The greater effort in research is made in Agriculture, Biomedicine, Chemistry and Engineering, but this last topic does not reach international visibility, since the majority of its results are published in local journals. The Cuban contribution to the “mainstream” of world science is increasing annually. Collaboration in high level research projects existed mainly between Cuba and either USSR, German Democratic Republic and Italy. The most productive Cuban institutions in collaborative programs are the Havana University and the Academy of Sciences.

Keywords: Countries, Indicators, Institutions, International, Italy, Journal, Journal Articles, Journals, Research, Science

? Senter, R. (1993), Factors in American State government spending on research-and-development. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 313-327.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 313.pdf

Abstract: This paper investigates factors that lead state governments in the United States to spend on research and development and research and development plant. Data come from a national survey of such spending. Regression analysis is used. Findings include the following: the relative wealth of a state, as measured by its tax capacity, predicts some of such spending, the level of a state’s taxation, as measured by its tax effort, predicts some of such spending, and the political party composition of a state predicts some of such spending. By contrast, a state’s economic difficulty, as measured by its unemployment rate, has almost no relationship to such spending.

Keywords: Analysis, Capacity, Development, Economic-Development, Lead, Plant, Policy, Research, Research and Development, Science, Survey, Taxation, Technology Programs, United States, United-States

? Maclean, J. and Janagap, C. (1993), The publication productivity of International Agricultural Research Centers. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 329-348.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 329.pdf

Abstract: The literature output over one year, 1990, of 22 International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs), including 16 Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers, was examined. Total output of the IARCs was 1,694 items, of which on average 42% were primary (refereed) literature, 24% were reports and monographs, 18% proceedings papers, 8% book chapters, and 8% semitechnical/popular literature. Total literature production from the IARCs is similar in magnitude to that of FAG, There were 1,230 internationally recruited scientists in the IARCs, with an average annual productivity of 1.38 items per scientist, including 0.58 primary literature articles. There was no correlation between scientific productivity and numbers of scientists in a center. However, there was a significant positive correlation between scientific productivity and center budget, indicating higher efficiency in the larger centers. In view of the nature of IARCs’ literature output, we argue that IARCs should reject the trend for scientists to be assessed only by citations in “core” primary literature, and that IARCs should set up an international standard, perhaps based on the present proportionality of types of their literature output in order to assess IARC individual scientists and the “health” of their institutional output.

Keywords: Budget, Citations, Efficiency, International, Literature, Papers, Primary, Standard

? Herbstein, F.H. (1993), Measuring “publications output” and “publications impact” of faculty members of a university chemistry department. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 349-373.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 349.pdf

Abstract: The publication and citation records of a group of 34 senior members of the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology over the period 1980-90 have been analyzed under the contention that dealing with a small group makes it possible for one to pay adequate attention to the methodology of the measurement and analysis processes. Choosing the most suitable index for measuring “Publications Output” has been considered in detail, it is suggested that it is essential to make allowances for both the number of co-authors and for the lengths of publications in order to obtain a more valid measure than is provided by a simple count of equally-weighted publications. Analogously it is argued that simple citation counts provide an inadequate measure of the impact that publications make on the group outside the authors’ immediate circle and thus that it is necessary to subtract self citations and divide the credit for a citation among the co-authors of the publication. Results of the analysis show that in agreement with all previous findings a few members (perhaps less than 20%) produce more than half the publications and receive more than half the citations of the Group as a whole.

Keywords: Analysis, Authorship, Citation, Citation Counts, Citations, Co-Authors, Faculty, Frequency, Measurement, Methodology, Publication, Publications, Records, Science, Self, Small

? Giorgi, E.P. (1993), Long-term analysis of citation counts at the microlevel. Scientometrics, 28 (3), 375-386.

Full Text: 1993\Scientometrics28, 375.pdf

Abstract: Analysis over a 13 year period of citation counts to research papers in pursuit of a new scientific hypothesis on the mechanism of action of oestrogen hormones, which therefore could be defined at the micro-level, revealed that during a period of expansion of the field there was an overall fall in mean citation counts, even to papers by with hindsight still successful groups. This fall appeared to be related to a relatively greater increase in the number of papers to be cited than in the number of citing papers.

Keywords: Citation, Citation Counts, Mechanism, Mechanism of Action, Papers, Research

? Stephan, P.E. and Levin, S.G. (1993), Age and the Nobel-Prize revisited. Scientometrics,