Can scientific productivity impact the economic complexity of countries?

Scientometrics - The so-called index of economic complexity, based on nations’ exports, was initially proposed as an alternative to traditional macroeconomic metrics just as the scientific...     

A bibliometric study of the world’s research activity in sustainable development and its sub-areas using scientific literature

This paper presents a bibliometric study of the world’s research activity in Sustainable Development using scientific literature. The study was conducted using data from the Scopus database over the time period of 2000–2010. We investigated the research landscape in Sustainable Development at country level and at institute level. Sustainable Development and its sub-areas are defined by keywords vetted by the domain experts, allowing publications to be identified independent of the journals and conferences in which they are published. The results indicate that institutes strong in Sustainable Development overall may not be strong in all sub-areas and that institutes not strong in Sustainable Development overall may have significant niche strengths in a given sub-area. It is also noted that China appears strong in terms of publication output in Sustainable Development and its sub-areas but it does not appear strong in terms of citation counts. The information produced in this study can be useful for government research agencies in terms of understanding how to more effectively knit together the various niche strengths in the country; and for the institutes to find strategic partners that can coordinate in niche areas of Sustainable Development and complement their strengths. In order to conduct bibliometric analysis in an interdisciplinary research area, the keyword collection approach appears to be very useful. This approach is flexible and can be used to conduct such analysis for interdisciplinary research fields.     

Institutional change and scientific research: A preliminary bibliometric analysis of institutional influences on Turkey’s recent social science publications

This paper provides a detailed assessment of recent indexed journal publications by Turkish social scientists. We first present information on SCI, SSCI and AHCI indexed journal articles that were published by Turkish researchers over the past three decades. An inspection of publication statistics indicates a considerable improvement, especially during the last five years of the 1973–2005 period that we examine, in Turkey’s publication record in terms of number of articles authored or co-authored by Turkish researchers. In the next step, we scrutinize institutional sources of this improvement, emphasizing regulatory and organizational changes that have both forced researchers to publish in indexed journals and remunerated those who did so. Finally, we provide a qualitative assessment of recent improvement in publication performance of Turkish researchers by focusing on a particular behavioral consequence of institutional changes and its implications for impact that research from Turkey has on global research activity. Bibliometric analysis of articles published by Turkish researchers in SSCI-indexed journals during 2000–2005 shows that recent regulatory and organizational changes seem to have instituted a particular publication habit, publishing in journals with lower impact factor, which was earlier observed in other parts of the world where publication counts were used for performance evaluation, and that signs of improvement in our select indicators of impact are yet to be observed.     

Does a country’s scientific ‘productivity’ depend critically on the number of country journals indexed?

In this paper, we examine the question whether it is meaningful to talk about the scientific productivity of nations based on indexes like the Science Citation Index or Scopus, when the journal set covered by them keeps changing with time. We hypothesize from the illustrative case of India’s declining productivity in the 1980s which correlated with a fall in its journals indexed, that an apparent increase/decrease in productivity for any country, based on observed change in its share of papers could, in fact, be an effect resulting from the inclusion of more/less journals from the country. To verify our hypothesis we have used SCIMAGO data. We found that for a set of 90 countries, the share of journals regressed on the share of papers gave a linear relationship that explained 80% of the variance. However, we also show that in the case of China’s unusual rise in world scientific productivity (to second rank crossing several other countries), there is yet another factor that needs to be taken into account. We define a new indicator—the JOURNAL PACKING DENSITY (JPD) or average number of papers in journals from a given country. We show that the packing density of Chinese journals has steadily increased over the last few years. Currently, Chinese journals have the highest ‘packing density’ in the world, almost twice the world average which is about 100 papers per journal per annum. The deviation of the JPD from the world average is another indicator which will affect so called ‘national productivities’ in addition to the number of national journals indexed. We conclude that in the context of a five fold increase in the number of journals indexed over 20 years, the simplistic notion of ‘scientific productivity’ as equivalent to papers indexed needs to be re-examined.     

Can the technological impact of academic journals be evaluated? The practice of non-patent reference (NPR) analysis

Journal rankings and journal ratings are important to governments, research institutes, and scientific research in general, and they frequently serve as the criteria for evaluating research performance to determine whether specific researchers will receive promotions and/or earn research grants. However, the only widely adopted journal assessment method is known as impact factor (IF), which focuses on citations in academic journals. However, IF disregards the technological applications and value of academic journals. In this article, we propose a method to rank academic journals that utilizes non-patent references in patent documents. We also compare the differences between journal rankings derived by using IF with those derived from the Intellectual Property Citation Index (IPCI) across different fields; moreover, some fields contain positive and significant correlations between IF and the IPCI. The results of this study offer a new perspective from which to assess the technological value of academic journals, particularly those in the technological and scientific fields. This study considers linkages among science and technology and the needs of the stakeholders in journal assessment to shed light on journal assessment and journal ranking methods.     

Can the impact of grey literature be assessed? An investigation of UK government publications cited by articles and books

Scientometrics - Grey literature encompasses a range of relatively informal textual outputs that are not indexed in citation databases. Although they are usually ignored in research evaluations, it...     

Can a road safety measure be both effective and ineffective at the same time? A game-theoretic model of the effects of daytime running lights

Studies that have evaluated the effects on accidents of daytime running lights for cars have consistently found that cars using daytime running lights are involved in fewer multi-party accidents in daylight than cars not using daytime running lights. However, studies evaluating the effects of mandatory use of daytime running lights have not always found an accident reduction. Although findings are mixed, there is a tendency for the aggregate effects of daytime running lights (i.e. the effects of an increasing share of traffic using daytime running lights) to be smaller than the intrinsic effects (i.e. the difference in accident involvement between cars using and not using daytime running lights). This paper presents a game-theoretic model to explain these apparently inconsistent findings. The game-theoretic model is based on so called Schelling-diagrams, originally introduced by Nobel laureate in economics Schelling. The effects of daytime running lights are modelled by means of Schelling-diagrams. It is shown that it is by no means impossible for cars using daytime running lights to always be safer than cars not using daytime running lights, while the total number of accidents remains constant even if the percentage of cars using daytime running lights increases from, say, 10% to 90%.     

Can simple particle shapes be used to model scalar optical properties of an ensemble of wavelength-sized particles with complex shapes?

We compute the scalar optical properties of size-shape distributions of wavelength-sized randomly oriented homogeneous particles with different nonaxially symmetric geometries and investigate how well they can be modeled with a simple spherical, spheroidal, or cylindrical particle model. We find that a spherical particle model can be used to determine the extinction and scattering cross sections, the single-scattering albedo, and the asymmetry parameter with an error of less than 2%, whereas the extinction-to-backscatter ratio Reb is reproduced only with an error of 9%. The cylindrical and spheroidal particle models yield slightly improved results for Reb that deviate from those obtained for the complex particle ensemble by 7% and 5%, respectively. Large discrepancies between results of the different models are observed for the linear depolarization ratio, thus indicating limitations of models based on simple particle shapes.     

Are Iranian scientists recognized as their productivity enhances? A comparison of Iran’s impact to global norms in different subfields of Science Citation Index during 2002–2005

Witnessing a substantial growth rate in its scientific production, Iran is considered as one of the recently rising stars in scientific contribution scene. However, its impact in science progress is widely unknown, especially at global level. Studying Iran’s scholarly publications and recognition in SCI, the present communication tries to clarify the country’s science system performance using regression analyses and then to compare its performance to that of the world, using Relative Citation Rate (RCR) and Relative Subfield Citedness (RW). The results of the regression analyses reveal that although Iran displays considerable weaknesses in its performance, it is increasingly recognized as its outputs grow. According to the RCR values, Iran performed at/above the global level in 21 subfields. However, the RW values show that the country’s performance is above the global level in only two subfields. Although Iran is very far from an ideal situation; these evidences can be considered as heralds of a successful movement towards a wealthy scientific future.     

Can the centre–periphery model explain patterns of international scientific collaboration among threshold and industrialised countries? The case of South Africa and Germany

As scientific collaboration is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly important, studies on scientific collaboration are numerous. Despite the proliferation of studies on various dimensions of collaboration, there is still a dearth of analyses on the effects, motives and modes of collaboration in the context of developing countries. Adopting Wallerstein’s world-system theory, this paper makes use of bibliometric data in an attempt to understand the pattern of collaboration that emerges between South Africa and Germany. The key argument is that we can expect the collaborative relationship between South Africa and Germany to be one that is shaped by a centre–periphery pattern. The analyses show that a theory of scientific collaboration building on the notion of marginality and centre–periphery can explain many facets of South African–German collaboration, where South Africa is a semi-peripheral region, a centre for the periphery, and a periphery for the centre.     

A stable "flat" form of two-dimensional crystals: could graphene, silicene, germanene be minigap semiconductors?

The discovery of a flat two-dimensional crystal known as graphene has contradicted Landau-Peierls-Mermin-Wagner arguments that there is no stable flat form of such crystals. Here, we show that the "flat" shape of graphene arises due to a microscopic buckling at the smallest possible interatomic scale. We show that the graphene, silicene, and other two-dimensional crystals are stable due to transverse short-range displacements of appropriate atoms. The distortions are small and form various patterns, which we describe in a framework of Ising model with competing interactions. We show that when temperature decreases, two transitions, disorder into order and order into disorder, arise. The ordered state has a form of stripes where carbon atoms are shifted regularly with respect to the plane. The flat graphene, silicene, or germanene planes look like a microscopic "washboard" with the wavelength of about couple of interatomic spacing of appropriate sublattices, which for graphene is about 1.8-3.6 ?. At lower temperatures, the ordered state transforms into a glass. Because of up-down asymmetry in buckled graphene, silicene and other two-dimensional crystals deposited on substrate, a minibandgap may arise. We derive a criterion for the minigap formation and show how it is related to the buckling and to the graphene-substrate interaction. Because of the bandgap, there may arise new phenomena and in particular a rectification of ac current induced by microwave or infrared radiation. We show that the amplitude of direct current arising at wave mixing of two harmonics of microwave electromagnetic radiation is huge. Moreover, we predict the existence of miniexcitons and a new type of fermionic minipolaritons whose behavior can be controlled by the microwave and terahertz radiation.     

Can porous polymeric scaffolds be functionalized by stem cells leading to osteogenic differentiation? A systematic review of in vitro studies

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of nanoporous structure of polymeric biomaterials on the in vitro osteogenic induction of human stem cells. An electronic search in three databases (MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) was performed for articles that were published before May 2018. In vitro studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) the use of polymeric scaffolds (natural or synthetic); (2) the co-culture of human stem cells with the scaffold; and (3) cell viability, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation assays. The main characteristics of the published studies were summarized, and a quality assessment tool was used to analyze methodological features. Eighty-eight potential articles were firstly retrieved. Thirteen were eligible for qualitative analysis. Only three studies characterized cell stemness. Nanostructure of the scaffolds showed a significant influence on viability, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human stem cells. Combination of porosity between 72 and 93% and a large range diameter between 50 and 224 μm resulted in more remarkable cellular proliferation and differentiation. Porous polymeric scaffolds can be functionalized by stem cells leading to osteogenic induction. High standards of laboratory practice and accurate methodological reporting are essential for the credibility of the results.     

How should the societal impact of research be generated and measured? A proposal for a simple and practicable approach to allow interdisciplinary comparisons

Since the 1990s, the scope of research evaluation has widened to encompass the societal products (outputs), societal use (societal references) and societal benefits (changes in society) of research. Research evaluation has been extended to include measures of the (1) social, (2) cultural, (3) environmental and (4) economic returns from publicly funded research. Even though no robust or reliable methods for measuring societal impact have yet been developed. In this study, we would like to introduce an approach which, unlike the currently common case study approach (and others), is relatively simple, can be used in almost every subject area and delivers results regarding societal impact which can be compared between disciplines. Our approach to societal impact starts with the actual function of science in society: to generate reliable knowledge. That is why a study (which we would like to refer to as an assessment report) summarising the status of the research on a certain subject represents knowledge which is available for society to access. Societal impact is given when the content of a report is addressed outside of science (in a government document, for example).     

Can strict volume control be the key for treatment and prevention of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in hemodialysis patients?

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare but if diagnosed late an irreversible disease. The majority of the patients present with severe hypertension, and effective blood pressure control is the mainstay of therapy. In this case report, we present three cases with PRES, treated successfully with strict volume control policy and propose that strict volume control policy may be a key element for the treatment of PRES.     

Can the HML's sliced BOMAB phantom be used in any whole body counter with a reduced number of sources?

The sliced Bottle Manikin Absorber (BOMAB) phantom was originally proposed as an alternative to a commercially available phantom, but it suffers from the disadvantage of containing over 160 sources that need to be manufactured; however, it was found that the number of slices could be reduced substantially and that two slices in the sliced phantom gave the same performance characteristics over a wide energy range as a conventional BOMAB phantom for a particular counting system. This work explores the adaptability of this phantom to another counting geometry. The response of the Human Monitoring Laboratory's whole-body counter measuring this phantom with a decreasing number of planar sources has been modelled using MCNP5 over a wide energy range (122-2754 keV). It was found that the best agreement was obtained when the phantom contained 10 sources, 1 in the mid point of each section. As this is a different result from a previous finding, any other counting geometry will have to be assessed to determine the optimum loading if the sliced phantom is to be used. Also, it is clear that this type of phantom cannot be used for an intercomparison that will encounter different counting geometries, unless it contains a full loading of sources.     

How does scientific success relate to individual and organizational characteristics? A scientometric study of psychology researchers in the German-speaking countries

Purpose: To provide up-to-date bibliometric reference data describing the output and success of psychology researchers in the German-speaking countries, including lifetime publication and citation numbers, and to investigate associations of bibliometric measures with academic status and gender as well as the department characteristics of size and quota of senior researchers. Method Queried literature databases using an extensive online register of academic psychologists in the German-speaking countries, obtaining valid data for 85 % (N = 1742) of the population of interest. Findings Skewed distributions for publications and citations; maximum number of German-language (=native) publications much higher than maximum number of English-language publications; relatively large part of population publishing almost exclusively in German; publication count predictable by academic status, gender, department size, and quota of senior researchers; citation count predictable by publication count, status, department size, and quota of senior researchers; department characteristics interact with individual characteristics to produce specific conditions under which publication count and citation count are higher or lower than expected: combination of female gender, small department size and large quota of senior researchers is associated with particularly increased publication count; female gender and large department size are associated with decreased publication count; high publication count, large department size and low quota of senior researchers are associated with increased citation count; low publication count and large quota of senior researchers are associated with decreased citation count. Conclusions Reference values for scientific output provided in this study provide an anchor for monitoring and international comparison; despite considerable noise in data, we show that interactions of individual and organizational characteristics are relevant for scientific success and should be investigated further, e.g. by adopting various measures of organizational diversity and tracing a population longitudinally.     

How collaboration type,publication place,funding and author’s role affect citations received by publications from Africa: A bibliometric study of LIS research from 1996 to 2015

Scientometrics - This study investigated if collaboration type, publication place, funding and author’s role affect citations received by publications from Africa. Library and Information...     

Is there a correlation between journal impact factor and researchers’ performance? A study comprising the fields of clinical nephrology and neurosciences

Quantifying the scientific performance of investigators has become an integral part of decision-making in research policy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if there is a correlation between journal impact factor (IF) and researchers’ influence among a selected group of Brazilian investigators in the fields of clinical nephrology and neurosciences. This study was based on 94 senior investigators (36 in clinical nephrology and 58 in clinical neurosciences) receiving productivity scholarships from the Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) according to a list provided by the agency in February 2009. Scientific performance indicators included in the analysis were: number of papers indexed by the Web of Science and Scopus databases, number of citations, h- and m-index. IFs were analyzed as (1) cumulative IF (∑IF), (2) IF adjusted by time (IF/t), and (3) average IF. There was a moderate positive correlation only between ∑IF and two indicators: total number of citations (P < 0.001) and h-index (P < 0.001). There was also a positive correlation between IF/t and m-index (P < 0.001). There was an agreement in these correlations between both groups (clinical nephrology and neurosciences). No significant correlation between the average IF and any of the scientific indicators was detected. A cut-off of 10.53 for IF/t showed the best performance in predicting researchers with m-index equal to or greater than 1. According to our findings, other qualitative and quantitative instruments rather than IF are clearly needed for identifying researchers with outstanding scientific output.