Personal Research Database

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics41, 411.pdf

Abstract: The 1990-1996 publication activity of 10 medium-sized European countries in the leading journals of 37 life science disciplines and in the seven top general life science journals was investigated. For each country the number of leading disciplinary journal articles per 100000 inhabitants (intensity) was compared to the percentage of top journal articles (:effectivity). A high and significant correlation, i.e. quality heightening was found.

Keywords: Activity, Correlation, General, Intensity, Journal, Life, Output, Publication, Quality, Science

? Vinogradov, A.E. (1998), Scientists of old vintage support a ‘winter-biased birthday’ theory. Scientometrics, 41 (3), 417-420.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics41, 417.pdf

Abstract: The association of the season of birth with lifetime intellectual achievement was studied by means of analysis of two data sets, one of the prominent chemists of the world and another of members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). It is found that a (statistically) significantly greater number of prominent chemists born before 1850 and of the full members of RAS born before 1875 were born in month of the winter half-year than of the summer one. The effect was gradually decreasing with time, the decrease being slower in Russia. The possible influence of the season of birth on the early personality development is discussed.

Keywords: Achievement, Analysis, Dates, Development, Lifetime, Personality, RAS, Revolutionary Birthdays, Russia, Season, Support, Theory, Winter

Mély, B., el Kader, M.Abd., Dudognon, G. and Okubo, Y. (1998), Scientific publications of China in 1994: Evolution or revolution? Scientometrics, 42 (1), 3-16.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 325.pdf

Abstract: SCI data bases have been widely used to analyse scientific production of various nations, their position in the international research community as well as their fields specializations. In the present study we examined, within the same methodological framework, the impact of the drastic reorientation of science funding systems which occurred in China (PRC) in the midst of the eighties. A decade after this turning point the pattern of Chinese publications from the 1994 SCI-CDRom reflects those of other countries although with its own peculiarities i.e. a relative weakness of life sciences and a prevalence of fundamental physics compared to the world average. Some effect of PRC’s policy could nevertheless be detected on this SCI profile like e.g. a neat increase of international papers after the opening of the country or the relatively high weight of collaborative works with laboratories from Hong Kong. We suggest that SCI data base is best suited for the analysis of public research of international standard due to the narrowness of the SCI window concerning applied research.

Keywords: Analysis, Base, China, Chinese, Collaboration, Community, Countries, Funding, Hong Kong, Impact, Life, Policy, Position, Prevalence, Production, Profile, Publications, Research, SCI, Science, Sciences, Scientific Production, Standard, Turning

? Raina, D. and Gupta, B.M. (1998), Four aspects of the institutionalization of physics research in India (1900-1950): Substantiating the claims of historical sociology through bibliometrics. Scientometrics, 42 (1), 17-40.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 17.pdf

Abstract: This paper examines the process of the institutionalization of research in physics in India. In order to do so, it employs bibliometric data such as research publications in physics research journals between 1900 and 1950. This data is then analyzed to obtain certain indicators that are pointers of the aspects of the institutionalization of research in physics in India. The four aspects of institutionalization studied here are important for the researches of those adopting sociological approaches in the study of the history of sciences. Thus the bibliometric techniques employed complements the efforts of historians of science studying the professionalization of physics research in India, and in this case those dealing with disciplines like physics. Further, the bibliometric data helps substantiate the claims of historians of science that the years 1905 to 1935 were particularly important for the history of physics in India. The conclusions of historians are based on success stories of a few leading physicists of the time. Within an institutional framework, this paper argues that there was a larger ground swell indicative of the emergence of a physics research community in India.

Keywords: Bibliometric, Bibliometric Techniques, Bibliometrics, Collaboration, Community, Emergence, Historical, History, India, Indicators, Order, Paper, Process, Publications, Research, Research Journals, Science, Sciences, Techniques

Tijssen, R.J.W. and van Wijk, E. (1998), The global science base of information and communication technologies: Bibliometric Analysis of ICT Research papers. Scientometrics, 42 (1), 41-60.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 41.pdf

Abstract: The science and engineering base is a key source of knowledge for the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In order to be able to effectively describe and monitor world-wide scientific activity related to ICTs, it is important to be able to provide reliable macro-level statistics of this knowledge base. International bibliographic databases and related bibliometric indicators together provide an analytical framework and appropriate measures to cover both the ‘supply side’ - research capabilities and outputs - and ‘demand side’ - collaboration, diffusion and citation impact - related to the ICT research. This paper presents results of such a bibliometric study describing macro-level features of this ICT knowledge base. The data were retrieved from a specially developed CWTS ICT Database which provides a broad-scope world-wide coverage of ICT-relevant research papers published in high-quality international scientific and technical journals. The cross-country comparison focuses on the level of scientific output and co-operation patterns of the most actively publishing nations with a focus on the three Triad zones - the European Union, the USA and Japan.

Keywords: Activity, Analysis, Base, Bibliographic Databases, Bibliometric, Bibliometric Indicators, Bibliometric Study, Citation, Collaboration, Communication, Comparison, Databases, Development, Diffusion, Engineering, Engineers, European Union, Features, Global, Indicators, Information, Information And Communication, Japan, Key, Knowledge, Knowledge Base, Order, Output, Paper, Patterns, Publishing, Research, Science, Scientific Output, Source, Statistics, Technologies, USA

Fernández, J.A. (1998), The transition from an individual science to a collective one: The case of astronomy. Scientometrics, 42 (1), 61-74.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 61.pdf

Abstract: The trend toward collectivization in Astronomy during this century (1901-1996), as measured by the increase in the number of authors per paper, is analyzed. For this purpose, two leading astronomical journals: The Astrophysical Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society are surveyed. It is found that the average number of authors per paper has jumped from a little more than one in the first half of this century to about three at present. Most of this dramatic increase has taken place during the last 20-25 years. At the same time, the ratio of collective papers (three or more authors) to single-authored ones has passed from nearly zero to 3-4 at present. The latter means that collective papers were almost nonexistent until the fifties or sixties to become nowadays 3-4 times more frequent than single-authored ones. The reasons underlying the collectivization of Astronomy (and perhaps of all natural sciences) are analyzed. The growing professionalization of science accompanied by a massive influx of graduate students into University research institutes, the revolution in communication, the pressure to publish in order to progress in a scientific career, and the growing complexity of knowledge are invoked as causes for the abandonment of the traditional individualism in science to a collective regime.

Keywords: Communication, Knowledge, Natural, Order, Paper, Pressure, Research, Science, Sciences, Students, Trend, Trends

Rousseau, S. and Rousseau, R. (1998), The scientific wealth of European nations: Taking effectiveness into account. Scientometrics, 42 (1), 75-87.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 75.pdf

Abstract: In this study we continue the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the R&D effort of European countries. We use GDP, active population and R&D expenditure as inputs, and publications and patents as outputs. Being effective means that, in order to obtain a maximum efficiency score countries are forced to perform on every output goal. A discussion of each country’s performance and a comparison with May’s Science results concludes our analysis.

Keywords: Analysis, Comparison, Effective, Effectiveness, Efficiency, GDP, Goal, Inputs, Order, Output, Patents, Performance, Population, Publications

Wang, C.D. and Wang, Z. (1998), Evaluation of the models for Bradford’s law. Scientometrics, 42 (1), 89-95.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 89.pdf

Abstract: A goodness of fit test is conducted for two models for Bradford’s law given by Egghe and Smolkov. The conclusion is that Smolkov’s model is of comparatively higher accuracy. Finally the paper points out the necessity of carrying out statistical tests for comparisons more frequently for the new models of Bradford’s law in the development of the law in order to get the best model.

Keywords: Accuracy, Development, Law, Model, Models, Order, Paper, Statistical Tests, Test, Tests

? Falkingham, L.T. and Reeves, R. (1998), Context analysis - A technique for analysing research in a field, applied to literature on the Management of R&D at the Section Level. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 97-120.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 97.pdf

Abstract: Context analysis is a new method for appraising a body of publications. The process consists of creating a database of attributes assigned to each paper by the reviewer and then looking for interesting relationships in the data. Assigning the attributes requires an understanding of the subject matter of the papers. We present findings about one particular research field, Management of R&D at the Section Level. Our findings support the view that this body of academic publications does nor meet the needs of practitioner R&D managers. The paper discusses practical aspects of how to apply the method in other fields.

Keywords: Academic, Analysis, Matter, Paper, Process, Publications, Research, Strategic Management, Support, Technology

? Nemtsov, A.V. and Zorin, N.A. (1998), Mathematical methods in psychiatric papers. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 121-128.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 121.pdf

Abstract: A comparative study was carried out to determine the trend in the use of statistical methods in the papers published in the leading Russian, American and British psychiatric journals of the 1980 -90 -ies. Within 10 years the quota of papers with statistics increased considerably in the American and British journals (from 58.6% to 67.6%), especially in the Archives of General Psychiatry (88%). Qualitative changes were notable as well, tending towards the use of non-ordinary innovative.,methods. As regards the Russian psychiatric papers the use of statistical methods was a rare occurrence (21.8% in 1980s), that never changed within 10 years.

Keywords: Comparative Study, Methods, Occurrence, Statistical Methods, Statistics, Trend

de Oliveira Cabral, J.E. (1998), Survey on technological innovative behavior in the Brazilian Food Industry. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 129-169.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 129.pdf

Abstract: This paper is based on the information collected through a survey on technological innovation in a relatively large sample of 1000 firms of the Brazilian Food industry (hereafter BFI). 248 firms (24.8%) responded to the questionnaire and 77 (31.0%) declared that they had introduced innovations in the period surveyed (1994-1996). This paper concentrates both on the different characteristics related to food firms and innovative activity and on the nature of the innovations. Regarding the former we have asked questions about firms’ industrial sector, major activities, production stages, ownership, age, turnover, exports effort, advertising, R&D and technological innovation effort, size (number of employees), external alliances, organization of management functions (technological innovation policy, long term strategic plan, marketing research), and perceived barriers to innovation. Regarding the nature of the innovations, questions included: institutional sources of knowledge of the innovations, sources of innovations (external or internal), degree of protection of innovations (patents and other means), external collaboration, novelty of innovations (radical or incremental), type of innovations (product, process or combined), newness of innovations (to the world, to the country or to the firm), and impact of innovations on inputs (manpower, material, capital and energy). The results of the research are presented in this paper in a descriptive way. Therefore, we have not carried out advanced statistical analysis and we have not tried to establish cause-effect relationships among variables, but just links among them and trends. From the analysis, we can claim that technological innovation is actually a very complex process within firms, even though they are in a so called ‘low-tech’ industry. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify outstanding factors linked to this process both at industry level (some sectors are more innovative than others) and at Arm level (the large firms tend to be more innovative than small ones).

Keywords: Activity, Advertising, Age, Analysis, Barriers, Behavior, Capital, Characteristics, Collaboration, Complex, Energy, Firms, Food, Impact, Industrial, Information, Innovation, Inputs, Knowledge, Long-Term, Management, Paper, Patents, Plan, Policy, Process, Production, Protection, Questionnaire, Radical, Research, Size, Sources, Statistical Analysis, Survey, Technical Change, Technological Innovation, Trends, Turnover

? Kutlaca, D.G. (1998), Patent-related activities in Serbia from 1921 to 1995. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 171-193.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 171.pdf

Abstract: In 1883 the Kingdom of Serbia was a co-founder of the well-known Paris Convention dedicated to protection of industrial property. This paper presents the analysis of inventive activities in Serbia in the period from 1921 to 1995. The available patent statistics is analyzed from the aspects of: (a) patenting structure according to the International Patent Classification sections, and (b) patenting dynamics. The findings of analysis indicate: (1) the fields in which technology development potentials are created in Serbia, and (2) the variations in inventors’ productivity as a direct consequence of the variation in the country’s innovation policy.

Keywords: Analysis, Development, Dynamics, Industrial, Innovation, Paper, Policy, Productivity, Protection, Statistics, Structure

Meyer, M. and Persson, O. (1998), Nanotechnology - Interdisciplinarity, patterns of collaboration and differences in application. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 195-205.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 195.pdf

Abstract: Nanotechnology is a novel technological field said to be one of the key technologies in the 21st century revolutionizing information technology, materials and medicine. Bibliometric quantification is a way to show the emergence of a new technology. Braun et al. (1) could establish an exponential growth pattern of publications in nano-science and technology starting in the early 1990s. Using their study as basis we intend to further characterize nanotechnology using bibliometric as well as patent data. We can show that the share of boundary-spanning publications is exceptionally high in the field of nanotechnology. Our co-authorship analysis indicates that countries follow different patterns of collaboration. Some countries tend to have bilateral relations while others collaborate with a much larger array of nations. Patent data in combination with bibliometric reveals differences in the application of science. In our conclusion we raise a number of questions requiring an analysis using also other types of data. Still, a closer investigation and disaggregation of bibliometric data may come up with additional findings.

Keywords: Analysis, Bibliometric, Bilateral, Co-Authorship, Collaboration, Disaggregation, Emergence, Growth, Information, Information Technology, Investigation, Key, Materials, Nanotechnology, Publications, Quantification, Science, Technologies

? Bar-Ilan, J. (1998), On the overlap, the precision and estimated recall of search engines, a case study of the query ‘Erdos’. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 207-228.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 207.pdf

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the retrieval capabilities of six Internet search engines on a simple query. As a case study the query ‘Erdos’ was chosen. Paul Erdos was a world famous Hungarian mathematician, who passed away in September 1996. Existing work on search engine evaluation considers only the first ten or twenty results returned by the search engine, therefore approximation of the recalls of the engines has not been considered so far. In this work we retrieved all 6681 documents that the search engines pointed at and thoroughly examined them. Thus we could calculate the precision of the whole retrieval process, study the overlap between the results of the engines and give an estimate on the recall of the searches. The precision of the engines is high, recall is very low and the overlap is minimal.

Keywords: Case Study, Evaluation, Internet, Low, Paper, Precision, Process

Anegon, F.D., Contreras, E.J. and Corrochano, M.D. (1998), Research fronts in library and information science in Spain (1985-1994). Scientometrics, 42 (2), 229-246.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 229.pdf

Abstract: Publications and author cocitations in library and information science in Spain during the period from 1985 to 1994 were analyzed as a measure of the structure, specificity and composition of research fronts in this country. A cocitation matrix developed from an ad hoc database was subjected to cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling and principal components analysis. The resulting cocitation maps identified specific areas of research and their knowledge bases. we inferred the degree of consolidation of the discipline of library and information science, and of the subdisciplines informetrics, librarianship and university affiliation, from the research activities revealed. In this respect, the conclusions from the study show the existence of several research fronts in Spanish literature the contents of which are in most cases difficult to compare with those in other countries. A lesser degree of maturity of research in this field is shown.

Keywords: Analysis, Citation Analysis, Cluster, Cluster Analysis, Co-Citation, Cocitation, Composition, Indicators, Information, Information Science, Informetrics, Intellectual Structure, Knowledge, Library And Information Science, Principal Components, Principal Components Analysis, Research, Scaling, Science, Spain, Specificity, Structure

Friedrich, M.P. and Rodrigues, P.D. (1998), Looking at science in Brazilian universities: The case of the Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 247-258.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 247.pdf

Abstract: Performance indicators were built for the Institute de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, one of the most well-reputed Brazilian science centers. The Institute’s performance presents a positive trend - articles number have doubled (1981-1995), and the articles impact grew from 4.20, in 1981, to 7.78, in 1990. This trend is probably being influenced by increasingly human resources involved in the Institute’s scientific activities and by the continuous growth of national and international collaboration. The follow up of indicators trends can be useful for the evaluation of long term policies directed to implement human resources programs and institutional collaborative work among scientific institutions.

Keywords: Collaboration, Evaluation, Follow up, Follow-up, Growth, Human, Impact, Indicators, Institutions, International Collaboration, Long-Term, Performance, Profile, Science, Scientific Institutions, Trend, Trends, Universities

Su, Y. and Han, L.F. (1998), A new literature growth model: Variable exponential growth law of literature. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 259-265.

Su, Y. and Han, L.F. (1998), A new literature growth model: Variable exponential growth law of literature. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 259-265.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 259.pdf

Abstract: This article derives a ‘literature variable exponential growth model’ from Price’s literature growth model F(t) = ae(bt). The method is replacing bt by a polynomial of degree n-1. Our research shows that the new model is more convincing than the former ones. Detailed calculation procedure, examples, parameter values and mean square errors are given.

Keywords: Errors, Growth, Growth Model, Law, Model, New Model, Research

Beckmann, M. and Persson, O. (1998), The thirteen most cited journals in economics. Scientometrics, 42 (2), 267-271.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 267.pdf

Abstract: A citation matrix for the thirteen most cited journals in economics is constructed from data in the Social Sciences Citation Index. (TM) The components of the eigenvector associated with the largest possible eigenvalue (the Frobenius root) of this matrix defines ‘impact values’ by which these journals may be ranked.

Keywords: Citation, Constructed, Data, Economics, Journals, Matrix

Radosevic, S. and Auriol, L. (1998), Measuring S & T activities in the former socialist economies of central and Eastern Europe: Conceptual and methodological issues in linking past with present. Scientometrics, 42 (3), 273-297.

Full Text: 1998\Scientometrics42, 273.pdf

Abstract: The economic and social transformation of countries of central and eastern Europe has deeply affected their S&T systems. However, conceptual and methodological problems in monitoring transformation of their S&T systems are not trivial. In this paper we analyse conceptual and methodological issues involved in measuring S&T activities in the socialist and post-socialist period across the most important S&T indicators (R&D, US and national patents, innovation surveys, bibliometrics). Our conclusions are that: i) the process of methodological harmonisation of S&T indicators has progressed considerably and we have provided some evidence in that respect, ii) the use of similar or identical indicators (business R&D, innovation counts, patents, citations) when making inter-country or inter- temporal comparisons should be approached with caution because of the significant differences between the socialist and post- socialist periods as well as between post-socialist R&D systems and R&D in other market economies. This latter applies especially to the interpretation of business R&D data in the post-socialist period

Keywords: Bibliometrics, Citations, Economic, Europe, Indicators, Innovation, International Collaboration, Monitoring, Paper, Patents, Process, Social, Surveys, Transformation, US

Hart, P.W. and Sommerfeld, J.T. (1998), Relationship between growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and growth in the chemical engineering literature in five different countries. Scientometrics,