Personal Research Database

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 87.pdf

Abstract: The relation between bibliometrics and science policy remains underdeveloped. Relevance of new methods to produce indicators is easily claimed, but often without real insight in the policy processes. Drawing on experiences with the use of S&T indicators in science policy in the Netherlands and on principal-agent theory, I develop an analytical perspective which enables to assess the role of S&T indicators in science policy. It is argued that the use of S&T indicators can only be understood well if one takes the socio- political context with its specific dynamics and rationalities into account.

Keywords: Analysis, Bibliometrics, Dynamics, Indicators, Methods, Policy, Policy Analysis, Role, Science, Science Policy, Science-Policy, Theory

? Schmoch, U. (1997), Indicators and the relations between science and technology. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 103-116.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 103.pdf

Abstract: The relationship between science and technology is an important issue, as science-based technologies play a key role in modern economies. The exploration of the science-technology interface can be effectively supported by quantitative indicators, in particular patents of scientific institutions, publications of industrial enterprises, and scientific, references in patent search reports. The most promising approach is the parallel observation of patents and publications in order to analyse the dynamics of the interaction of science and technology and the professional move of academic and industrial researchers between institutions.

Keywords: Academic, Dynamics, Enterprises, Exploration, Indicators, Industrial, Institutions, Interaction, Interface, Key, Knowledge, Observation, Order, Patents, Publications, Role, Science, Scientific Institutions, Technologies

Blauwhof, G. (1997), Mapping the dynamics of telephone switching devices. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 117-140.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 117.pdf

Abstract: In this contribution relations between scientific articles, conference proceedings and patents relating to telephone switching are analyzed. The state-of-the-art in scientometrics and science and technology studies leads one to expect relations among these documents. Empirical findings show the opposite. To interpret these findings I focus on two key issues in scientometrics, namely the frequency of linkages among documents and the nature of communication. The resulting conclusion is that scientometrics should be informed by theories concerning the evolutionary dynamics of science and technology.

Keywords: Communication, Dynamics, Key, Patents, Science, Scientometrics, Technology

Katz, J.S. and Hicks, D. (1997), Desktop scientometrics. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 141-153.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 141.pdf

Abstract: Advanced scientometric tools are moving from the realm of the privileged few with access to mainframe and minicomputers to the desktop of researchers equipped with personal computers. This shift is not only due to the decreasing cost and technological advances in PCs but the ready availability of a powerful multitasking operating system, a versatile text processing language and easy access to the Internet. Furthermore, the latest releases of PC software, such as Microsoft Excel, make it possible to develop graphical user interfaces into complex bibliometric data for a wide spectrum of researchers and policy analysts. Recent developments in digital communication, in particular, tools to access the Internet via the World Wide Web will provide even greater flexibility to those researchers wishing to make their scientometric data available to a diverse international audience. This paper examines how the BESST project developed a Desktop Scientometric environment using public domain, hardware independent software, prototyped a graphical user interface to provide easy access to UK sectoral level bibliometric data and gives a glimpse into future developments.

Keywords: Access, Availability, Bibliometric, Communication, Complex, Computers, Cost, Environment, Flexibility, Graphical User Interface, Interface, Interfaces, Internet, Language, Paper, Policy, Processing, Scientometrics, Software, Tools, Uk, World Wide Web

Leydesdorff, L. and Van den Besselaar, P. (1997), Scientometrics and communication theory: Towards theoretically informed indicators. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 155-174.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 155.pdf

Abstract: The theory of citations should not consider cited and, or citing agents as its sole subject of study. One is able to study also the dynamics in the networks of communications. While communicating agents (e.g., authors, laboratories, journals) can be made comparable in terms of their publication and citation counts, one would expect the communication networks not to be homogeneous. The latent structures of the network indicate different codifications that span a space of possible ‘translations’. The various subdynamics can be hypothesized from an evolutionary perspective. Using the network of aggregated journal-journal citations in Science & Technology Studies as an empirical case, the operation of such subdynamics can be demonstrated. Policy implications and the consequences for a theory-driven type of scientometrics will be elaborated.

Keywords: Agents, Citation, Citations, Communication, Consequences, Dynamics, Homogeneous, Indicators, Made, Operation, Publication, Science, Scientometrics, Technology, Theory

Braun, T. and Schubert, A. (1997), Dimensions of scientometric indicator datafiles: World science in 1990-1994. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 175-204.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 175.pdf

Abstract: Scientometric indicators are treated according to dimensional approaches. One, two, three, dimensions and multidimensional characteristics are revealed graphically for giving a panoramic view on the publication activity and citation impact of different countries.

Keywords: Activity, Characteristics, Citation, Citation Impact, Eighties, Impact, Indicator, Indicators, Life, National Performances, Publication, Publication Output, Science

Van Raan, A.F.J. (1997), Scientometrics: State-of-the-art. Scientometrics, 38 (1), 205-218.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 205.pdf

Abstract: In this presentation we argue that the core research activities of scientometrics fall in four interrelated areas: science and technology indicators, information systems on science and technology, the interaction between science and technology, and cognitive as well as socio-organisational structures in science and technology.

Keywords: Academic, Applications, Balance, Climate, Community, Condition, Core, Development, Driving, Environment, Fall, Indicators, Information, Interaction, Methodology, Research, Research Performance, Science, Scientometrics

Yitzhaki, M. (1997), Variation in informativity of titles of research papers in selected humanities journals: A comparative study. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 219-229.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 219.pdf

Abstract: Titles constitute the most concise statement of a document’s content, and are heavily used by information retrieval systems. Consequently, the great importance of titles being highly informative is indisputable. The most common measure of title ‘informativity’ has been the number of ‘substantive’ words it includes. Previous studies found significant differences between journals of different subject fields, in the sciences and the social sciences, regarding the number of substantive words in article titles. However, unlike the sciences and the social sciences, very little research has been done on humanities journals. Examining title informativity in a group of eighteen leading English-language journals, covering various humanities disciplines, from 1940 to 1990, the present study searched for possible differences between the humanities journals and the scientific and social sciences ones, concerning patterns of title informativity. Generally, considerable differences were found in the number of substantive words in article titles between the various humanities journals checked. On the other hand, a comparison of the group-average means and medians of the humanities journals to group figures of journals from the sciences and the social sciences indicates significant differences for almost all decade years studied. However, titles of papers in humanities journals did follow the general trend of increase in informativity, although in a slower pace. Possible explanations of these differences are discussed and areas for further study are suggested.

Keywords: Article, Comparative Study, Comparison, General, Group, Hand, Importance, Information, Information Retrieval, Research, Sciences, Social, Social Sciences, Trend

van Dalen, H.P. (1997), Measuring giants and dwarfs: Assessing the quality of economists. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 231-252.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 231.pdf

Abstract: The emergence of ideas in economic science is dominated by scientists situated in the US. The brain drain to thee US after de Second World War gave economic scientists who stayed behind a chance to obtain a monopoly position in determining the development of economics in their home country. These facts are illustrated by a citations study of economic science in the Netherlands. Especially one man, the Nobel laureate Jan Tinbergen, has left an indelible mark on the way Dutch economic science has developed. The development of Dutch economics shows strong path-dependence.

Keywords: American, Brain, Citations, Development, Economic, Economics, Emergence, Europe, Home, Position, Quality, Science, US

Vogel, E.E. (1997), Impact factor and international collaboration in Chilean physics: 1987-1994. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 253-263.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 253.pdf

Abstract: The 598 papers on physics published between 1987 and 1994 with at least one author presenting Chilean affiliation are scrutinized. Several aspects are cross-examined along the period of eight years: number of papers, cumulative impact factor, average impact factor, international co-authorship, most visited journals and main Chilean institutions. It is found that physics is growing in Chile with international collaboration playing an important role. The average impact factor is relatively high and rather constant throughout the period reflecting that the good level of Chilean physics is stable. The articles spread in 165 different journals, but most of the productivity is to be found in a few journals of high impact factor. Most of the research is done by institutions in Santiago but other emerging institutions are also identified.

Keywords: Chile, Citation Impact, Co-Authorship, Collaboration, Cumulative Impact, Eighties, Impact, Impact Factor, Institutions, International Collaboration, National Performances, Productivity, Publication Output, Research, Role, World Science

Notes: UUniversity

Ugolini, D., Parodi, S. and Santi, L. (1997), Analysis of publication quality in a cancer research institute. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 265-274.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 265.pdf

Abstract: The paper presents an experimental method for the evaluation of scientific papers in the field of oncology and related disciplines developed at the National Institute for Cancer Research (IST), Genoa, Italy. The method is based on the partitioning of categories of the Science Citation Index-Journal Citation Reports (SCI-JCR) into deciles, thus normalizing Impact Factor (IF), in order to guage the quality of the productivity. A second parameter related to the number of staff of each department co-authoring a given paper has been introduced for the allocation of Institute funding. The following studies have been carried to compare the assigned score and the average number of citations of papers published by a research group. The identification of correctives is in progress. The method provides a basis for a possible method to judge the quality of publications from within a research organization, and should be reproducible independently of the disciplines considered.

Keywords: Allocation, Cancer, Citations, Evaluation, Experimental, Funding, Group, Identification, Indicators, Italy, Oncology, Order, Paper, Partitioning, Productivity, Publication, Publications, Quality, Research

? Small, H. (1997), Update on science mapping: Creating large document spaces. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 275-293.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 275.pdf

Abstract: Science mapping projects have been revived by the advent of virtual reality software capable of navigating large synthetic three dimensional spaces. Unlike the earlier mapping efforts aimed al creating simple maps at either a global or local level, the focus is now on creating large scale maps displaying many thousands of documents which can be input into :he new VR systems. This paper presents a general framework for creating large scale document spaces as well as some new methods which perform some of the individual processing steps. The methods are designed primarily for citation data but could be applied to other types of data, including hypertext links.

Keywords: Citation, General, Global, Local, Mapping, Methods, Paper, Processing, Scale, Science, Scientific Literatures, Software, Synthetic, Three-Dimensional, Virtual Reality, VR

Notes: CCountry

Macías-Chapula, C.A. and Rodea-Castro, I.P. (1996), Subject content of the Mexican production on health and the environment (1982-1993). Scientometrics, 38 (2), 295-308.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 295.pdf

Abstract: This work reports on the subject content analysis performed to 1323 records retrieved from international databases, related to the Mexican production on environmental health. The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and BIREME’s Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) were used as guiding tools to select the subject content of records. Overall, 97 descriptors were identified, 65 corresponded to MeSH terms and 32 were generated by the authors. Results indicated that most of the production was related to environmental pollution studies focused on water and air pollution, and environmental monitoring. Through the development of hierarchical models, patterns of subjects covered and uncovered could be easily identified. Further lines of action and research are proposed by the authors.

Keywords: Air, Air Pollution, Analysis, Content Analysis, Databases, Development, Environment, Environmental, Environmental Health, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Pollution, Health, Information, Models, Monitoring, Pollution, Production, Research, Tools, Water

Zhang, H.Q. and Guo, H. (1997), Scientific research collaboration in China. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 309-319.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 309.pdf

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of scientific research collaboration in China by bibliometric indicators, collaborative index, degree of collaboration and level of collaboration, based on the articles published in 1218 titles of Chinese scientific and technical periodicals in the year 1993. The results suggest that the current trend of collaboration among multiauthors and multiinstitutions for producing scientific articles may have reflected the multidimensional science of China.

Keywords: Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Characteristics, China, Chinese, Co-Authorship, Collaboration, Cooperation, Current, Index, Indicators, International Collaboration, Journals, Multiple Authorship, Output, Patterns, Periodicals, Research, Research Collaboration, Science, Sciences, Trend

Notes: TTopic

Braun, T., Schubert, A. and Zsindely, S. (1997), Nanoscience and nanotechnology on the balance. Scientometrics, 38 (2), 321-325.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics38, 321.pdf

Abstract: A number of advantages of nanostructured materials over bulk materials and their potential applications in many scientific and technological fields have been revealed in recent years. To find out the main growth and trends of this exciting new science and technology fields the growth rate of the nano-prefixed terms in the title of journal papers has been measured. It has been shown that the investigations dealing with graphite nanotubes represent kinetically the most active field of research in the nanosciences.

Keywords: Applications, Balance, Graphite, Growth, Growth Rate, Investigations, Journal, Materials, Nanosciences, Nanotechnology, Recent, Research, Science, Trends

? (1997), Cumulative indexes for volumes 26-35. Scientometrics, 38 (3), 327-422

Full Text: Scientometrics38, 327

? Romanov, A.K. and Terekhov, A.I. (1997), The mathematical model of productivity- and age-structured scientific community evolution. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 3-17.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 3.pdf

Abstract: The productivity factor is very important at the mathematical simulation of scientific community evolution. In Ref. 1 the productivity index has been incorporated into the model exogenously to formulate the criterion of dynamic optimization of the scientific community age structure. In this paper we are going to include the productivity (as well as the age) in the individual state space and to derive the main dynamic equation which takes into account the stochastic fluctuations of scientific community members’ productivity and some modifications of the Fokker-Planck equation. An approximation method for the evolution model is suggested with the aid of which the computational experiment is carried out. The discussion of experimental results and possible ways for improvement and extension of model are presented.

Keywords: Age, Community, Computational, Dynamic, Evolution, Experiment, Experimental, Fokker Planck Equation, Index, Mathematical Model, Model, Optimization, Paper, Productivity, Simulation, Stochastic, Structure

Cunningham, S.J. and Dillon, S.M. (1997), Authorship patterns in information systems. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 19-27.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 19.pdf

Abstract: This paper examines the patterns of multiple authorship in five information systems journals. Specifically, we determine the distribution of the number of authors per paper in this field, the proportion of male and female authors, gender composition of research teams, and the incidence of collaborative relationships spanning institutional affiliations and across different geographic regions.

Keywords: Authorship, Composition, Distribution, Female, Gender, Incidence, Information, Journals, Male, Paper, Research, Scientific Collaboration

Keywords: Access, Analysis, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Methods, Characteristics, Crisis, Information, Internet, Methods, Paper

Bar-Ilan, J. (1997), The ‘mad cow disease’, usenet newsgroups and bibliometric laws. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 29-55.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 29.pdf

Abstract: In this paper the reactions of Usenet News users’ to ‘mad cow disease’ is examined. Thousands of newsgroups on an extremely wide variety of subjects exist, and anyone, having access to the Internet, can express his/her thoughts freely on this medium. We collected information on the news items relevant to ‘mad cow disease’ for a period of one hundred days starting very close to the eruption of the crisis. The analysis of the collected information reveals some similarities between the bibliometric characteristics of news items on an electronic medium and the physically printed scientific literature. As far as we know, this is one of the first attempts to systematically apply bibliometric methods to the Internet.

Notes: CCountry

Goldberg, A.I., Oigenblick, L. and Rubin, A.H.E. (1997), Scientific articles and national medical cultures: A comparison of Russian and American medical journals. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 57-75.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 57.pdf

Abstract: Medical journals are products of national medical cultures, which influence the organization of medical research and the readiness to employ different research methodologies. A content analysis was undertaken to ascertain the characteristics of scientific papers in nine Russian and three American medical journals published in 1992. The American medical journals were thriving, both in appearance, and with research contributions coming from a decentralized national system of research institutions and also from European and other international research centers. Much of American medical research is ‘big science’ based on collaborative efforts of researchers at a number of institutions. Russian medical journals, in contrast, were more parochial in content, reporting mainly local research, with several primary journals serving as outlets for endeavors of sponsoring institutes. While Russian medical culture did appear to discourage usage of classical random experimental designs, the choice of research methodologies proved to be influenced more by medical specialization than by national culture.

Keywords: Analysis, Appearance, Characteristics, Citation Analysis, Collaboration, Comparison, Content Analysis, Culture, Experimental, Health-Care, Institutions, Life Sciences, Local, Medical, Medical Journals, Products, Reporting, Research, Soviet Science

? Spasser, M.A. (1997), Mapping the terrain of pharmacy: Co-classification analysis of the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts database. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 77-97.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 77.pdf

Abstract: This research uses descriptive multivariate data-analytic techniques - in particular, multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis - to explore and visualize the structure of the pharmacy literature as refracted through the editorial policies of the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA) database. Specifically, the co-occurrence of the section headings/codes, used to exhaustively categorize publications in the IPA database, are clustered and mapped to evaluate the usefulness of two methods of section heading assignment. A secondary purpose of this research is to evaluate the use of descriptive multivariate data-analytic techniques and co-classification analysis to explore and depict the structure of an inherently heterogeneous and multidisciplinary professional literature, such as pharmacy.

Keywords: Analysis, Biotechnology, Cluster, Cluster Analysis, Combined Cocitation, Editorial Policies, Heterogeneous, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Methods, Multidisciplinary, Multivariate, Publications, Research, Research-And-Development, Scaling, Science, Structure, Techniques, Word Analysis

Notes: TTopic

Bird, J.E. (1997), Authorship patterns in marine mammal science, 1985-1993. Scientometrics, 39 (1), 99-105.

Full Text: 1997\Scientometrics39, 99.pdf

Abstract: Authorship studies in such disciplines as physics and economics show that with the passage of time there has been an increase in the number of authors per paper, indicating a trend toward more collaboration. In this study, a search was run on the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts database to identify marine mammal science papers published from 1985 to 1993. A total of 1308 papers published in scientific journals was examined. There were weak but statistically significant trends in the increase in the number of authors per paper as well as in the number of multi-authored papers written by authors from different institutions, with the passage of time. Possible reasons for these results include the increasing specialization of researchers necessitating collaboration, more access to electronic means of communication, and more competition for research funds. Confounding factors in this analysis include the possibility that different journals have different publication patterns and regional vs. national/international journal differences.

Keywords: Access, Analysis, Collaboration, Communication, Competition, Economics, Institutions, Journal, Journals, Mammal, Marine, Marine Mammal, Multiple Authorship, Paper, Publication, Regional, Research, Science, Trend, Trends

Notes: TTopic

Schummer, J. (1997), Scientometric studies on chemistry I: The exponential growth of chemical substances, 1800-1995. Scientometrics,