Maps depicting the structure of science help us understand the development of science and technology. However, as it is difficult to apply inter-citation and co-citation analysis to recently... Show moreMaps depicting the structure of science help us understand the development of science and technology. However, as it is difficult to apply inter-citation and co-citation analysis to recently published papers and ongoing projects that have few or no references, our previous work developed a content-based map by locating research papers and funding projects using word/document embedding. Because difficulties arise when comparing the content-based map in different languages, this paper improves our content-based map by developing a method for generating multi-dimensional vectors in the same space from cross-lingual (English and Japanese) documents. Using 1,000 IEEE papers, we confirmed a similarity of 0.76 for matching bilingual contents. Finally, we constructed a map from 34,000 projects of the National Science Foundation and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2012 to 2015, and we indicate the findings obtained from a comparison of the US-Japan funded projects. Show less
Expansion of government R & D budgets on promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption and charging infrastructure development is likely to continue to be a key component of ecological innovation... Show moreExpansion of government R & D budgets on promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption and charging infrastructure development is likely to continue to be a key component of ecological innovation policies. Using an original data set of non-patent literature (NPL) references extracted from patent documents pertaining EV charging technologies, this paper provides new evidence on the flows of knowledge with or without a scientific contribution from the business sector. Three main questions are addressed in this paper for measuring the value of knowledge produced by firms, which not only contributes towards a better understanding of EV but serves the purpose of fostering more partnerships and unlocking further investments in research. First, what information is most useful to the technological development? Even firms are increasingly encouraged to engage in EV innovation process, a relatively profound influence on knowledge transfer has not be exercised, especially in generating applied technologies measured by redefined average NPL citation compared to academic institutions. Patents with firm NPL have a special focus on inorganic chemistry and nanotechnology except as common issues identified related to climate change mitigation and energy storage. Second, which kind of firm’s contribution produces the most valuable research? The university-firm research collaborations have captured more attention from science to technology while knowledge produced solely by firms has been transferred to a broader distribution in geography. Finally, how scientific knowledge is commercialised? Patents with firm NPLs, in particular the one regarding networked infrastructure and energy generating have been transferred more frequently to companies and universities residing in the US, Japan, Canada and Germany between 2010 and 2014. However, patented technologies of electrical distribution network and charging batteries with non-firm NPLs are mainly assigned to companies in France and Korea between 2008 and 2013. The role of firm in knowledge and technology transfer needs to be further explored in a border technological field notwithstanding the gaps in NPL citation compared to academic institutions. Show less
In recent years, increasing attention is being drawn to the analysis of scientific career path using the indicators of academic career in career studies. Bibliometric methods play an increasing... Show moreIn recent years, increasing attention is being drawn to the analysis of scientific career path using the indicators of academic career in career studies. Bibliometric methods play an increasing role in scientific career path analysis and its evaluation but an integrative approach is still missing to characterise the multiple aspects of scientific career. The goal of this paper is (1) to demonstrate an attempt to synthetize the prexisting bibliometric indicators, setting up a system of measurements providing a rich scientometric profile on academic careers, and (2) to present a case study on a Hungarian sample of researchers, including an empirical career typology based on our indicator system. Show less
The public sector is an important source of agricultural research as many of the agricultural producers are individual farmers who cannot bear the cost of research and development. Public... Show moreThe public sector is an important source of agricultural research as many of the agricultural producers are individual farmers who cannot bear the cost of research and development. Public institutes for experimentation and research called Kosetsushi help producers in agriculture and manufacturing improve productivity through technology transfer activities, thereby constituting an important component of regional innovation systems in Japan. This study establishes panel data of agricultural research input and output (new variety of a plant) by Kosetsushi and examines whether their research activities are responsive to local needs and which type of research effort is conducive to the promotion of agricultural product innovation measured as registration of new varieties. Estimation results reveal significant variations across plants in the impacts of agricultural clusters on research on that plant. The impact of research on plant breeding on product innovation also varies across plants. Policy implications of the major findings are discussed. Show less
Haunschild, R.; Marx, M.; French, B.; Bornmann, L. 2018
Three different approaches of field-categorization are currently (mainly) used for normalizing citation impact without a clear preference for one alternative: (1) journal sets, (2) intellectual... Show moreThree different approaches of field-categorization are currently (mainly) used for normalizing citation impact without a clear preference for one alternative: (1) journal sets, (2) intellectual assignments, and (3) citation relations. In this study, we compare normalized citation scores, which have been calculated based on the three approaches to build reference sets. We are interested whether they lead to the same, similar, or different scores for the same papers – if the formula of calculating the scores is held constant. This study focusses on chemistry and related sciences, because we have access to a comprehensive dataset from Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). The results show that normalized scores based on intellectual field assignments are more in agreement with scores based on journal sets than with scores based on citation relations. Thus, one can expect more similar scores based on intellectual assignments and journal sets than on citation relations. Show less
Responsible use of scientometrics in research evaluations is heavily debated. My aim in this opinion paper is to draw attention to the importance of distinguishing between different evaluative... Show moreResponsible use of scientometrics in research evaluations is heavily debated. My aim in this opinion paper is to draw attention to the importance of distinguishing between different evaluative settings. Principles for responsible use of scientometrics are dependent on the nature of the evaluative setting. What is responsible in one setting may not be responsible at all in a different setting. Recognizing that there is no one size that fits all leads to insights that may help to enhance responsible use of scientometrics. To illustrate the importance of distinguishing between different evaluative settings, my focus is on the distinction between micro-level and macro-level research evaluation. Show less
We explore whether and how mapping bibliometric methods combined with other data sources (mentions in news and policy) can also be useful for mapping potential societal engagement of research... Show moreWe explore whether and how mapping bibliometric methods combined with other data sources (mentions in news and policy) can also be useful for mapping potential societal engagement of research fields. We use as a case study agricultural research, broadly defined, since this is a field that has long being recognised as problematic for conventional bibliometric assessment, particularly in developing contexts. On the one hand, we use conventional bibliometric data such as percentage of internal coverage, non-English publications, co-word mapping and the fine-grained classification of science provided by article-level clustering. On the other hand, we explore relative frequency of mentions in policy documents and news items.The comparison of patterns across research areas suggests those areas that may be more directly engaged with societal actors. Show less
Cumulative advantage – commonly known as the Matthew Effect – influences scientific output and careers. Given the challenge and uncertainty of gauging the quality of new scientific research,... Show moreCumulative advantage – commonly known as the Matthew Effect – influences scientific output and careers. Given the challenge and uncertainty of gauging the quality of new scientific research, evaluators and gatekeepers often possess incentives to prefer the work of established scientists. Such preferences breach scientific norms of fairness, and can yield suboptimal research outcomes. This article analyzes repeat authors as an exemplar of the Matthew Effect. Although a scientist publishing in the same journal multiple times is rare within individual careers, the phenomenon is relatively common at the level of scientific journals. Using publication data for 347 economics journals from 1980-2016, we analyze whether articles written by repeat authors tend to fare better or worse than less-experienced authors. Random effects models show a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between repeat authorship and citation impact. In these models, citation impact peaks at the fourth repeat publication, suggesting both liabilities of newness and liabilities of senescence in science. Fixed effects models show that within individual scientific careers, authors tend to be most impactful with their debut publication, then experience declining impact with each subsequent repeat authorship. Implications for innovation incentives for scientists and gatekeepers alike are discussed. Show less
Meijer, I.; Weijden, I. van der; Ven, I. van der; Beukman, J.J. 2018
This study focuses on working environment and experiences of PhD candidates at a Dutch university. 250 PhD candidates responded to an online questionnaire and twelve of them were also interviewed.... Show moreThis study focuses on working environment and experiences of PhD candidates at a Dutch university. 250 PhD candidates responded to an online questionnaire and twelve of them were also interviewed. The results of the questionnaire reveal that 38% of the PhD candidates surveyed are at risk of serious mental health problems. This applies in particular to young and international PhD candidates. Having an employment contract has no influence on mental well-being. The more integrated within the university structure, especially in the case of young PhD candidates, and therefore also the more dependent on the academic system, the greater the likelihood of mental health problems, particularly if it is not clear what requirements need to be met or if there seems to be little prospect of an academic career. In such situations, PhD candidates can feel incompetent if they are not offered sufficient support and supervision. It is often unclear whether they have achieved the required standard. At the same time, PhD candidates made positive comments in the interviews about the chance to conduct research and the opportunity to complete a PhD; it is generally a carefully-considered choice. This calls on the University as employer, and the supervisors as those directly supervising the process, to ensure that they make sufficient effort and engage in an open dialogue in order to enable PhD trajectories to be successfully completed. No one denies that conducting PhD research is a stressful period. The workload is felt to be considerable, as clearly also emerges in the interviews with PhD candidates. But this kind of pressure is not a significant predictor of mental health problems among PhD candidates. They are fully aware that the amount of work they need to do is considerable and that this will be at the expense of their work-life balance, at least temporarily. Many PhD candidates take very little time off; holidays are short and work often continues into the evenings and weekends. However, when PhD candidates encounter real problems in dealing with the amount and pace of work, mental health problems can arise. The interviews reveal that this may be associated with teaching duties that take up time that is not offset in other ways. Autonomy at work, often seen as a mitigating factor for stress, does not have that effect for PhD candidates. This may be because PhD candidates always consider their PhD trajectory to be a generally autonomous process for which they are themselves responsible. In this study, the same approach was used as the Belgian research institute ECOOM who conducted in 2016 research into the link between the academic working environment and the (mental) well-being of PhD candidates at Flemish universities. The findings in Flanders would suggest a problem of similar magnitude, albeit with different predictive factors than at Leiden University. Show less
Orduna-Malea, E.; Martín-Martín, A.; Delgado López-Cózar, E. 2018
In June 2017 Google Scholar launched a new product called Classic Papers. This service currently displays the most cited English-language original research articles by fields and published in 2006.... Show moreIn June 2017 Google Scholar launched a new product called Classic Papers. This service currently displays the most cited English-language original research articles by fields and published in 2006. The main goal of this work is to describe the main characteristics and features of this Google Scholar’s new service, as well as to highlight its main strengths and weaknesses. To do this, a total of 2,515 records were extracted. Additionally, for each record, the following bibliographic data were gathered: broad subject category and subcategory, Title of the document, URL, Authors, Google Scholar Citation profiles’ URL, and Citations received. It is finally concluded that, although the product is easy to use and provides original data about highly cited documents at the level of disciplines, it still suffers of some methodological concerns, mainly related to the subject classification of documents and the use of homogenous visualization threshold regardless the discipline, that jeopardizes the utility of this product for bibliometric purposes. In addition to this, the lack of transparency constitutes a methodological concern, since Google Scholar does not to declare in detail how the product has been developed. Show less
Okamura, A.; Hayashi, S.; Koshiba, H.; Nishimura, Y. 2018
It has been seven years since the launch of Japan’s Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX) programme. It is therefore an opportune time to take stock, not only... Show moreIt has been seven years since the launch of Japan’s Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX) programme. It is therefore an opportune time to take stock, not only of the Japanese programme, but also of leading science, technology, and innovation (STI) research and education programmes in other nations. This paper updates our work (Okamura et.al. 2017), applying a quantitative approach to syllabi analysis by using topic model methodology to identify frequent topics on the syllabi of various STI educational programmes. The number of education programmes analysed has increased from 12 to 24 Japanese and overseas programmes. Although this is still an on-going study, we have found that worldwide STI education programmes can be characterised using twelve topics. In 2016, the SciREX programme in Japan held discussions with STI stakeholders at multiple workshops to share key terminologies and science questions relating to key chapters of core parts of the curricula used by six participating Japanese universities. The aim of both activities (the quantitative analysis of syllabi and the development of core curricula) was to identify research and educational agendas that could respond to societal needs and changes. Show less
This paper studies the evolution of China’s international collaboration from 1980 to 2016, in terms of collaborating countries, topics, and citations. We also distinguish between papers that are... Show moreThis paper studies the evolution of China’s international collaboration from 1980 to 2016, in terms of collaborating countries, topics, and citations. We also distinguish between papers that are led by a Chinese author (i.e., the first or corresponding author has a Chinese affiliation) and the papers to China contributed (i.e., the first and corresponding authors are not affiliated to a Chinese institution). We find an important increase of international collaboration by Chinese scholars over the period. Chinese authors are also increasingly playing a leadership role in those international collaborations, but this varies by discipline and by country of collaboration. We observe that the papers led by Chinese authors have on average a lower citation impact than the papers to which they participated as non-leaders. Show less
The public nature of university rankings means these rankings have the potential to serve as a rich information source for benchmarking. However, in this paper, I will argue that it is the very... Show moreThe public nature of university rankings means these rankings have the potential to serve as a rich information source for benchmarking. However, in this paper, I will argue that it is the very fact that university rankings are public that makes it impossible for institutional researchers to use these rankings for their primary task: supporting university leaders in effective decision making and planning. Show less
Hu Z.; Tian W.; Xu S.; Wang X.; Li J.; Zhang C. 2018
Essential Science Indicators (ESI), a citation-based research analytic tool developed by Clarivate Analytics for identifying top-performing research, is becoming increasingly used in evaluating the... Show moreEssential Science Indicators (ESI), a citation-based research analytic tool developed by Clarivate Analytics for identifying top-performing research, is becoming increasingly used in evaluating the impact of countries, institutes and scientists. Unfortunately, our study has proved that ESI indicators are not as reliable as they seem to be. Both the published month and the online-to-print delay are found to affect a paper’s probability to become a Highly Cited Paper. Specifically, papers published in earlier months of the year are more likely to accumulate enough citation counts to be able to rank the top 1% compared with those published in later months of the year. In addition, various online-to-print delays in different journals also affect the validity of HCP selections. Papers with longer online-to-print delays have longer citation time windows to be cited. Show less
Ghiasi, G.; Mongeon, P.; Sugimoto, C.; Larivière, V. 2018
Citations are one of the key indicators of scientific influence. However, citations are not entirely neutral and are affected by several social factors. This research provides a comprehensive... Show moreCitations are one of the key indicators of scientific influence. However, citations are not entirely neutral and are affected by several social factors. This research provides a comprehensive gendered analysis of citation patterns, considering author contribution, research field, and subject similarity. For this purpose, citation data of 7,011,369 articles published in 2008-2016 and indexed in the Web of Science are analyzed. The findings indicate that gender-based homophily in citations exists in all disciplines and that self-citations impose a considerable contribution to the allure of gender-based homophily in citations. This study suggests that men’s higher propensity to cite the work of their male-peers could render women’s scientific contributions invisible and under-recognized. The results of this study could inform science policy to explore mechanisms to obviate proliferation of the use of citation-based metrics for evaluative purposes and the consequent indirect biases they introduce into the reward system of science. Show less
The CWTS Leiden Ranking (www.leidenranking.com) provides bibliometric indicators for almost 1000 major universities worldwide. We present a detailed analysis of the activities of visitors of the... Show moreThe CWTS Leiden Ranking (www.leidenranking.com) provides bibliometric indicators for almost 1000 major universities worldwide. We present a detailed analysis of the activities of visitors of the Leiden Ranking website. We for instance study the countries from which visitors originate, the specific pages on the Leiden Ranking website that they visit, the countries or the universities that they find of special interest, and the indicators that they focus on. In addition, we also discuss two experiments that were carried out on the Leiden Ranking website. Our analysis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the way in which university rankings are used. We also intend to use the analysis to make improvements to the Leiden Ranking. Show less
Previous research shows that, despite its popularity, Facebook is less frequently used to share academic content. In order to investigate this discrepancy we set out to explore engagement numbers... Show morePrevious research shows that, despite its popularity, Facebook is less frequently used to share academic content. In order to investigate this discrepancy we set out to explore engagement numbers through their Graph API by querying the Facebook API with multiple URLs for a random set of 103,539 articles from the Web of Science. We identified two major challenge areas: mapping articles to URLs and the mapping URLs to objects inside Facebook. We then explored three problem cases within our dataset: (1) identifying a landing page for any given URL, (2) instances where equivalent URLs are mapped to different Facebook objects, and (3) instances of different articles being mapped onto the same Facebook object. We found that the engagement numbers for 11.8% of all articles that have been shared on Facebook at least once are not reliable because of these problems. Moreover, we were unable to identify the URL for 11.6% of the articles in our data. Taken together, the three problem cases constitute 12.3% of the 103,539 tested articles for which engagement numbers cannot be relied upon. Given that we only tested a small number of problem cases and URL variants, our results point to large challenges facing those wishing to collect Facebook metrics programatically through the available API. Show less
Souza, C.D. de; Filippo, D. de; Sanz Casado, E. 2018
With the globalization of higher education, visibility has become a central asset for attracting resources and visibility. In this context, identifying the institutions that can stand out in... Show moreWith the globalization of higher education, visibility has become a central asset for attracting resources and visibility. In this context, identifying the institutions that can stand out in certain areas is of vital importance. This paper analyses the visibility of Brazilian public universities from two sources: Web of Science databases and international rankings of universities. Bibliometric indicators are used to detect the specialty of higher education institutions. The obtaining of the specialization profile allowed to compare the disciplinary and thematic orientation of the Brazilian university system and to detect the strengths of the institutions. Show less
The current paper studies funding and collaboration effect on citation impact of publications of top-3 Chinese and US universities. Funding support focuses on the two agencies supporting basic... Show moreThe current paper studies funding and collaboration effect on citation impact of publications of top-3 Chinese and US universities. Funding support focuses on the two agencies supporting basic research of the two countries, namely, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the USA. The NSFC is significantly more important to Chinese universities than the NSF to US counterparts due to absolute high share of the former in publications. Both the NSFC and NSF grants raise citation impact. International collaboration raises citation impact of Chinese publications but plays a negative role to US publications. Cross-institutional collaboration is helpful to increasing publication productivity but may decrease citation impact. Increasing the number of authors in collaboration may increase citation impact, but negative effect happens if the number of institutions is increased. There is no significant effect if the number of countries is increased. Show less
