Showing papers on "Scientometrics published in 1998"
TL;DR: The present paper examines different facets of citations and citation analysis, and discusses the validity of citation analysis as a useful measure of research impact/quality.
Abstract: The present paper addresses some of the many possible uses of citations, including bookmark, intellectual heritage, impact tracker, and self-serving purposes. The main focus is on the applicability of citation analysis as an impact or quality measure. If a paper's bibliography is viewed as consisting of a directed (research impact or quality) component related to intellectual heritage and random components related to specific self-interest topics, then for large numbers of citations from many different citing paper, the most significant intellectual heritage (research impact or quality) citations will aggregate and the random author-specific self-serving citations will be scattered and not accumulate. However, there are at least two limitations to this model of citation analysis for stand-alone use as a measure of research impact of quality. First, the reference to intellectual heritage could be positive or negative. Second, there could be systemic biases which affect the aggregate results, and ...
219 citations
TL;DR: It appears that a lack of substantive differences inSelf-citation behavior is consistent across disciplines, and the number of words devoted to self-citations vary among disciplines, but remain constant within a discipline for both self- citations and citations to others.
Abstract: The paper examines patterns of self-citation in six disciplines distributed equally among the physical and social sciences and the humanities. Sample articles were examined to determine the relative numbers and ages of self-citations and citations to others in the bibliographies and to the exposure given to each type of citation in the text of the articles. Significant differences in the number and age of citations between disciplines were found. Over all, 9% of all citations were self-citations; 15% of physical science citations were self-citations, as opposed to 6% in the social sciences and 3% in the humanities. Within disciplines, there was no significantly different amount of coverage between self-citations and citations to others. Over all, it appears that a lack of substantive differences in self-citation behavior is consistent across disciplines. The number of words devoted to self-citations vary among disciplines, but remain constant within a discipline for both self-citations and citations to others.
150 citations
TL;DR: The term citationology is offered as the theory and practice of citation, including its derivative disciplines citation analysis and bibliometrics, which can guide information scientists who, like myself, could be called “citationists” or ”citationologists”.
Abstract: Theories of citation are as elusive as theories of information science, which have been debated for decades. But as a basis for discussion I offer the term citationology as the theory and practice of citation, including its derivative disciplines citation analysis and bibliometrics Several maxims, commandments if you will, have been enunciated. References are the results of a specialized symbolic language with a citation syntax and grammar. References, like words, have multiple meanings which are related to the aposteriori quality of citation indexes. Therefore, citation relevance cannot be predicted. Mathematical microtheories in bibliometrics abound, including the apposite laws of scattering and concentration. Citation behavior is a vast sub-set of citation theory, which like citation typology, can never be complete. Deviant citation behavior preoccupies certain authors but it is rarely significant in well-designed citation analyses, where proper cohorts are defined. Myths about uncitedness and the determinants of impact are discussed, as well as journal impact factors as surrogates and observations on scientists of Nobel Class.
99 citations
TL;DR: A synoptic review and history of citation indexes and their evolution into research evaluation tools including a discussion of the use of bibliometric data for evaluating U.S. institutions (academic departments) by the National Research Council is provided.
Abstract: This article provides a synoptic review and history of citation indexes and their evolution into research evaluation tools including a discussion of the use of bibliometric data for evaluating U.S. institutions (academic departments) by the National Research Council (NRC). The review covers the origin and uses of journal impact factors, validation studies of citation analysis, information retrieval and dissemination (current awareness), citation consciousness, historiography and science mapping, Citation Classics,® and the history of contemporary science. Retrieval of information by cited reference searching is illustrated, especially as it applies to avoiding duplicated research. The fifteen-year cumulative impacts of journals and the percentage of uncitedness, the emergence of scientometrics, old boy networks, and citation frequency distributions are discussed. The paper concludes with observations about the future of citation indexing
86 citations
TL;DR: 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.
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.
64 citations
TL;DR: The study tries to investigate how much e-sources have been used in formal scholarly communication in LIS, using a case study in the area of library and information science (LIS) during the period 1994 to 1996, and finds that journal format is related to the rate of citing e-Sources, but there is no significant difference in the number of e-references per article by journal format or by year.
Abstract: The Internet-based electronic resources e-sources are growing dramatically; however, there have not been empirical studies evaluating the impact of e-sources, as a whole, on formal scholarly communication. This study tries to investigate how much e-sources have been used in formal scholarly communication, using a case study in the area of library and information science LIS during the period 1994 to 1996. Four citation-based indicators are proposed and used in this study for the impact measurement.
Compared with the impact of print sources, the impact of e-sources on formal scholarly communication in LIS is small, as measured by e-sources cited, and does not increase significantly by year even though there is observable growth of the impact across the years. It is found that journal format is related to the rate of citing e-sources, i.e. electronic journal e-journal articles are more likely to cite e-sources than are print journal p-journal articles. However, once authors cite e-sources, there is no significant difference in the number of e-references per article by journal format or by year. This finding suggests that, at this stage, citing e-sources may depend on authors rather than the journal format in which the authors choose to publish.
56 citations
54 citations
TL;DR: Comparative investigation of frequency and strength of motives of authors toward referencing proves that references-citations can be used for exploring information links between items referencing and referenced.
Abstract: Comparative investigation of frequency and strength of motives of authors toward referencing proves that references-citations can be used for exploring information links between items referencing and referenced. Asreferencing can be assumed as apeer evaluation process resulted in referencing some papers and neglecting others, citations obtained can be applied for assessing international impact of scientific publication activity.
42 citations
TL;DR: An additional link to geometrically oriented evolutionary theories is sketched and a specific landscape concept is used as a framework for some comments.
Abstract: The construction of virtual science landscapes based on citation networks and the strategic use of the information therein shed new light on the issues of the evolution of the science system and possibilities for control. Citations seem to have a key position in the retrieval and valuation of information from scientific communication networks. Leydesdorff's approach to citation theory takes into account the dual-layered character of communication networks and the second-order nature of the science system. This perspective may help to sharpen the awareness of scientists and science policy makers for possible feedback loops within actions and activities in the science system, and probably nonlinear phenomena resulting therefrom. In this paper an additional link to geometrically oriented evolutionary theories is sketched and a specific landscape concept is used as a framework for some comments.
28 citations
TL;DR: The data presented indicate that even in a period of economic crisis, a selective investment of funds in human resources may lead to an increase of the scientific productivity of a country in all science fields.
Abstract: The number of Brazilian scientific publications increased from 0.29% to 0.56% of the worldwide total during the 1981-1993 period. There was a decrease of the funds allocated to most scientific activities, except for that allocated for training of new scientists. The numbers of research fellowships and scientific publications increased at the same ratio during the period. The pattern of scientific publications and the number of fellowship granted along the years in the different fields of research were analyzed. The data presented indicate that even in a period of economic crisis, a selective investment of funds in human resources may lead to an increase of the scientific productivity of a country in all science fields.
28 citations
TL;DR: The sum of the individual weighted scores representing special aspects of the total activity yields a General Performance Index (GPI) which, together with a thorough peer review, may be used for distributing grants.
Abstract: Activities of research institutes of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences were assessed multidimensionally. Taking into accountgoals and tasks of the institutes,weighted scientometric indicators were suggested. The weights of the individual indexes weredistributed among the institutes by the values of their indicators. The sum of the individual weighted scores representing special aspects of the total activity yields aGeneral Performance Index (GPI) which, together with a thorough peer review, may be used for distributing grants.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: This study used citation analysis to identify the most frequently cited journals relevant to library and information science and to provide an objectively ranked list of journals that publish medical informatics articles relevant to Library and Information science.
Abstract: Medical informatics is an interdisciplinary field. Medical informatics articles will be found in the literature of various disciplines including library and information science publications. The purpose of this study was to provide an objectively ranked list of journals that publish medical informatics articles relevant to library and information science. Library Literature, Library and Information Science Abstracts, and Social Science Citation Index were used to identify articles published on the topic of medical informatics and to identify a ranked list of journals. This study also used citation analysis to identify the most frequently cited journals relevant to library and information science.
TL;DR: The possibilities for LIS professionals to raise their positions in information work hierarchies are emphasised, as well as the exploration of informetric techniques to support “informed” management decisions and policy making.
Abstract: The Centre for Informetric Studies (CIS) was launched in 1996 by the Royal School of Library and Information Science in Copenhagen. The head of centre presents the CIS, giving a sample of activities and research programmes. The emerging field of informetrics is described in a historical perspective as a subfield of bibliometrics. The new approach combines advanced information retrieval theories and methodologies with the scientific study of information flows. CIS aims to apply improved bibliometric methods not only to scientometrics studies and research evaluations of science and technology, but also to the analysis of their mutual societal, industrial and other special relations. This means an extension of traditional bibliometric analyses to cover non‐scholarly communities in which information is produced, communicated and used. It is also an appeal to modern LIS professionals to face the challenge of this new area of quantitative studies, and to explore the databases not only as a registry but also as a tool for analytical work. The possibilities for LIS professionals to raise their positions in information work hierarchies are emphasised, as well as the exploration of informetric techniques to support “informed” management decisions and policy making.
TL;DR: The research output of the Danish Technical University (DTUa) has been studied as an aspect of the organization's research policy and visibility in its international context to study citation analysis techniques and features of the research system.
Abstract: The research output of the Danish Technical University (DTUa) has been studied as an aspect of the organization's research policy and visibility in its international context. Papers published in the three-year period (1992–94) were grouped according to 20 clusters of research areas. Using citation analysis techniques, the dynamics of citation frequencies, and a number of other features of the research system, like self-citation, research collaborations, relative impact on the international literature, etc., could be studied. The methods can be used to analyze institutional and national research efforts and to monitor effects of changing policies.
TL;DR: The impact factor, provided by the Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia (PA), has become the most important evaluation tool for scientific research and academic work by dividing the number of current year citations to the source items published in the journal during the previous two years by two.
Abstract: The impact factor, provided by the Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia (PA), has become the most important evaluation tool for scientific research and academic work. It is calculated by dividing the number of current year citations to the source items published in the journal during the previous two years. In market research, the impact factor provides quantitative evidence for editors and publishers for positioning their journals in relation to the competition. Despite its popularity, the parameter should be used with careful attention to the many phenomena that influence citation rates. The correlation between the citation frequency of a certain article and the impact factor of the journal in which it is published is questionable. A few articles have many citations and the rest are sparsely cited or not at all. Citation impact is more a measure of utility than of scientific value. Authors' selection of references is subject to biases unrelated to quality. Moreover, there is a tremendous bias towards English language journals compared with those in other languages. Finally, different specialties exhibit different ranges of peak impact. The impact factor favours research areas that promote many short-term studies. Conversely, a tendency to treat clinical investigations as less important is created.
TL;DR: The present study proposes the use of the citation system, that potentially bridges a gap between measurement and epistemology, by applying system theory to the publication system.
Abstract: It can be shown that claims of a lack of theories of citation are also indicative of a grate need for a theory which links science dynamics and measurement. There is a wide gap between qualitative (science dynamics) and quantitative (measurement) approaches. To link them, the present study proposes the use of the citation system, that potentially bridges a gap between measurement and epistemology, by applying system theory to the publication system.
TL;DR: The 140 source items analyzed contained 4,913 journal references to 708 journals, of which 4,231 references were unique, and reprints, traveling to another library, and personal subscriptions were the most common methods of obtaining these items.
Abstract: Results of a study analyzing citations to journal articles in publications of the biology faculty at a large research university are presented. The 140 source items analyzed contained 4,913 journal references to 708 journals, of which 4,231 references were unique. The top 100 titles were ranked according to total citations by faculty members, and the results compared to rankings based on data in Journal Citation Reports Faculty citations were compared to journal holdings at the university, and survey forms were distributed to faculty citing volumes not held. Reprints, traveling to another library, and personal subscriptions were the most common methods of obtaining these items.
TL;DR: The profile of Chemical Engineering Journal and Biochemical Engineering Journal during the 1983-1996 period has been used to help outline the profile of the chemical engineering journal and biochemical engineering journal.
TL;DR: It is argued that there was a larger ground swell indicative of the emergence of a phhsics research community in India, and this helps substantiate the claims of historians of science that the years 1905 to 1935 were particularly important for the history of physics in India.
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 phhsics research community in India.
TL;DR: This article analyzed citations to women's studies journals in dissertations from the years 1989 and 1994 to determine which of these journals are being used for doctoral research and to find out whether their usage has increased, decreased, or remained static.
Abstract: Citation analysis studies, using dissertations as the bibliographic source material, are often conducted for purposes of collection evaluation, collection management, and serials cancellation. Citations to women's studies journals in dissertations from the years 1989 and 1994 are here analyzed to determine which of these journals are being used for doctoral research and to find out whether their usage has increased, decreased, or remained static. Further study should be conducted to identify reasons for the fluctuation in the usage of particular women's studies journals.
TL;DR: Results of a bibliometric study describing macro-level features of this ICT knowledge base are presented and a 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.
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 developedCWTS 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.
TL;DR: Performance indicators were built for the Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, one of the most well-reputed Brazilian science centers, and present a positive trend—articles number have doubled (1981–1995), and the articles impact grew from 4.20, in 1981, to 7.78, in 1990.
Abstract: Performance indicators were built for the Instituto 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 continous 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.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The authors analyzes infometrique du web (Webmetrie) : disciplines, nombre de liens, etude de cas: analyse de tendances dans la recherche sur les sciences alimentaires.
Abstract: Analyse d'une base de donnee par methodes infometriques. Analyse infometrique du Web (Webmetrie) : disciplines, nombre de liens. Etude de cas: analyse de tendances dans la recherche sur les sciences alimentaires. Navigation dans la litterature au moyen de l'analyse de citations
TL;DR: 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 and a high and significant correlation, i.e. quality heightening was found.
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.
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: The National Science And Technology Policy (NSTP) as mentioned in this paper is a revised version of the NSP that addressed allocation of funding, role of science in society, profession of science, and the relationship between industrialisation and the environment.
Abstract: In April 1996, Tanzania issued a National Science And Technology Policy which revised a policy released ten years earlier. The policy addressed allocation of funding, the role of science in society, profession of science, and the relationship between industrialisation and the environment. It emphasised policy implementation through education, technology transfer and dissemination and utilisation of research findings.