Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity

A special issue of Publications (ISSN 2304-6775).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2022) | Viewed by 31505

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Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Research Technological University, K. Marx Street 68, 420015 Kazan, Russia
Interests: coordination chemistry; quantum chemistry; chemistry of macrocyclic compounds; nanosciences; scientometrics
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Dear Colleagues,

As is known, an objective assessment of scientific activity—both of an individual scientist and of scientific teams—is one of its most difficult problems, concerning the relationship within itself as well as with society. However, for many decades, the significance of scientists’ contribution to the development of the corresponding branch of science was assessed by the scientific community only by meaningful qualitative criteria, wherein the principle and mechanism of such an assessment was actually intuitive and defied quantitative description. That is why the urgent task was to create a system for evaluating scientific activity based on some objective indicators of this activity of a particular scientist; in search of those, in the 1970s–1980s, the term “citation index” appeared. Initially, in essence, it was a simple number of references to all the works of a given researcher, performed by them in the relevant branch of scientific activity for a specific time period. Although a close examination of this indicator revealed its limitations and in a number of cases even inadequacy in assessing scientific activity, it has nevertheless since the 1990s gained very wide popularity in the scientific community. This has contributed to the emergence of numerous works aimed at finding new, perfect indicators for assessing publication activity (so-called bibliometric indices); to date, several dozen such indices have been proposed, the most significant of which was the so-called Hirsch index or h-index. Nevertheless, despite the incredibly significant advances in this specific area of sociology, the above problem is still far from its resolution.

Research problem considered in this Special Issue: Despite the significant advances in this specific area of ​​sociology, the problem of an adequate and objective assessment of scientific activity and publication activity is still far from being solved. In this regard, the key task of this Special Issue will be to familiarize its readers with the latest achievements both in the search for new, more advanced bibliometric indicators and in the improvement of existing ones.

In connection with the above, this thematic Special Issue will include mainly original full articles and short messages devoted to the problems of improving the quantitative assessment of scientific and publication activity of researchers and research teams using various bibliometric indices (both new original ones and those already proposed earlier). Articles are also welcome, in which there will be proposals for the development and improvement of indices characterizing the authority of scientific periodicals (journals). By prior agreement with the Editorial Office, comprehensive reviews on the above problems where the emphasis should be on the work of researchers who are not the review authors or their co-authors can also be submitted for publication in this Special Issue. 

Prof. Dr. Oleg V. Mikhailov
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • scientometrics
  • scientometric assessment
  • scholarly publications
  • scientific activity
  • bibliometric parameter
  • Hirsch Index

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 190 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction from the Guest Editor of Special Issue “Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity”
by Oleg V. Mikhailov
Publications 2021, 9(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9020019 - 8 May 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1962
Abstract
In any branch of intellectual activity that claims to be called the word “science”, there are two approaches to describe the phenomena and objects associated with it; namely, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)

Research

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27 pages, 2915 KiB  
Article
A Scientometric Assessment of Agri-Food Technology for Research Activity and Productivity
by Jakkrit Thavorn, Veera Muangsin, Chupun Gowanit and Nongnuj Muangsin
Publications 2021, 9(4), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040057 - 20 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3675
Abstract
In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several SDGs target global food issues, including zero hunger (food security and sustainable agriculture), responsible consumption and production (food losses), climate action (greenhouse gas emissions from food waste), and partnerships for the goals (research [...] Read more.
In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several SDGs target global food issues, including zero hunger (food security and sustainable agriculture), responsible consumption and production (food losses), climate action (greenhouse gas emissions from food waste), and partnerships for the goals (research collaboration). As such, it is vital to identify technology and market opportunities to support advanced development by exploring scientific and technological research on such SDGs. The significance of technological innovation and evaluations of activity, productivity, and collaboration aids and guides future research streams. Motivated by the growing severity of the global food waste crisis, this paper focuses on the case study of shelf-life extension technology for food and applies a scientometric analysis of patents based on text mining. VantagePoint was used to analyze 2516 patents issued between 2000 and 2020, with the aim of understanding the conceptual structure of knowledge and the social relationships among key players. The results indicate that the technology is experiencing a period of growth, and it can be clustered into five technology sectors. Across all technology clusters, China outperformed other countries in terms of the number of patents. Almost all of China’s patents applied for technology commercialization domestically, whereas other countries tended to apply for patents overseas to exploit opportunities. The findings have implications for both policymaking and strategic decision-making using a multi-layered network innovation system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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19 pages, 2814 KiB  
Article
Research Productivity in Emerging Economies: Empirical Evidence from Kazakhstan
by Timur Narbaev and Diana Amirbekova
Publications 2021, 9(4), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040051 - 5 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4090
Abstract
The growth of the Higher Education and Science (HES) sector is positively associated with its research productivity and has a high potential in emerging countries. To explore such research productivity, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature from Kazakhstan. Our [...] Read more.
The growth of the Higher Education and Science (HES) sector is positively associated with its research productivity and has a high potential in emerging countries. To explore such research productivity, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature from Kazakhstan. Our methods included descriptive analysis, network analysis, and author-based productivity analysis (by Lotka’s law) of 23,371 articles from Scopus, published during 1991–2020, and across 25 subject areas. The results of the descriptive analysis showed a substantial increase in the number of and citations to the literature since 2011 in almost all subject areas. However, the network analysis found that research in natural sciences was more developed in topical relationships and international collaborations than research in arts and humanities, social, and medical sciences. The Lotka’s law application revealed that the overall scientific literature in Kazakhstan did not reach its necessary stage of maturity. Additionally, some subject areas demonstrated greater contribution to the overall knowledge base, while others were less productive or lagging in their development. Our findings, useful for researchers and policymakers in emerging countries, can be exemplary in understanding the results of policy reforms aimed to improve the HES sector in emerging countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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8 pages, 411 KiB  
Communication
Author-Suggested, Weighted Citation Index: A Novel Approach for Determining the Contribution of Individual Researchers
by Tanmoy Konar
Publications 2021, 9(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9030030 - 12 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3280
Abstract
A novel scientometric index, named ‘author-suggested, weighted citation index’ (Aw-index) is proposed to indicate the scientific contribution of any individual researcher. For calculation of the Aw-index, it is suggested that during the submission of a scholarly article, the [...] Read more.
A novel scientometric index, named ‘author-suggested, weighted citation index’ (Aw-index) is proposed to indicate the scientific contribution of any individual researcher. For calculation of the Aw-index, it is suggested that during the submission of a scholarly article, the corresponding author would provide a statement, agreed upon by all the authors, containing weightage factors against each author of the article. The author who contributed more to the article would secure a higher weightage factor. The summation of the weightage factors of all the authors of an article should be unity. The citation points a researcher receives from a scholarly publication is the product of his/her weightage factor for that article and the total number of citations of the article. The Aw-index of any individual researcher is the summation of the citation points he/she receives for all his/her publications as an author. The Aw-index provides the opportunity to the group of authors of a multi-authored article to determine the quantum of partial citations to be attributed to each of them. Through an illustrative example, a comparison of the proposed index with the major scientometric indexes is presented to highlight the advantages of the Aw-index. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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16 pages, 552 KiB  
Article
Russian University Teachers’ Perceptions of Scientometrics
by Andrei V. Grinëv, Daria S. Bylieva and Victoria V. Lobatyuk
Publications 2021, 9(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9020022 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2540
Abstract
This article is devoted to the attitude of Russian university teachers toward scientometrics and its indicators, which have been imposed on them by university administrations and the state since 2012. In addition to substantiating the problem’s urgency, the article contains a brief critical [...] Read more.
This article is devoted to the attitude of Russian university teachers toward scientometrics and its indicators, which have been imposed on them by university administrations and the state since 2012. In addition to substantiating the problem’s urgency, the article contains a brief critical outline of the main scientometric parameters and their application in practice in Russia. To evaluate this, 283 people from leading universities in Russia (included in Program 5-100) were questioned. As the study showed, faculties of Russian universities understand the specifics of scientometrics, relate to it relatively positively, and over the past years have been able to adapt to the new requirements of the administration regarding implementing scientometric tasks and standards. The higher the position and scholarly qualification of a respondent, the more complete the knowledge about scientometrics. Scholars in the humanities know and relate comparatively better to scientometrics than representatives of technical and general scientific specialties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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Review

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23 pages, 3226 KiB  
Review
Intellectual Capital: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Wilder Quintero-Quintero, Ana Beatriz Blanco-Ariza and Manuel Alfonso Garzón-Castrillón
Publications 2021, 9(4), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040046 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8088
Abstract
Intellectual capital is managed by competencies and the development of information and communication technologies, which have seen high growth and impact in higher education institutions related to scientific publications. The main objective of this study was to provide a summary of the general [...] Read more.
Intellectual capital is managed by competencies and the development of information and communication technologies, which have seen high growth and impact in higher education institutions related to scientific publications. The main objective of this study was to provide a summary of the general review of studies related to intellectual capital around the world. Methodology: the Bibliometric analysis was carried out using the Bibliometrix library and BiblioShiny platform of the RStudio® software through the data obtained from the Scopus database. Findings: in total, 389 documents in the Scopus database used “capital”, “intellectual”, “research” and “institutions” as keywords with a growth rate of 2.34% every year from 1947 to 2021. The publications were written by around 866 authors, mainly from the USA, the UK, and Spain. Original value: the data obtained show that intellectual capital has been important and relevant in the scientific publications of the last six years, which were related by the number of authors by institutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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Other

7 pages, 209 KiB  
Systematic Review
What Proportion of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Published in the Annals of Surgery Provide Definitive Conclusions—A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Matthew G. Davey, Martin S. Davey, Aoife J. Lowery and Michael J. Kerin
Publications 2022, 10(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications10020019 - 28 Apr 2022
Viewed by 2787
Abstract
Objective: To perform a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the Annals of Surgery during a 10-year eligibility period and determine the unambiguity of concluding statements of these reviews published in the journal. Background: Systematic reviews and [...] Read more.
Objective: To perform a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the Annals of Surgery during a 10-year eligibility period and determine the unambiguity of concluding statements of these reviews published in the journal. Background: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses integrate clinically pertinent results from several studies to replicate large-volume, ‘real world’ scenarios. While the assimilation of results from multiple high-quality trials are at the summit of the evidence-base, the increasing prevalence of reviews using low-to-moderate levels of evidence (LOE) limit the ability to make evidence-based conclusions. In surgery, increasing LOE are typically associated with publication in the highest impact surgical journals (e.g., Annals of Surgery). Methods: A systematic review was performed as per PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search of the Annals of Surgery for articles published between 2011 and 2020 was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: In total, 186 systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses) were published in the Annals of Surgery between 2011 and 2020 (131 systematic reviews with meta-analyses (70.4%) and 55 without meta-analyses (29.6%)). Study data were from 22,656,192 subjects. In total, 94 studies were from European research institutes (50.5%) and 58 were from North American institutes (31.2%). Overall, 75.3% of studies provided conclusive statements (140/186). Year of publication (P = 0.969), country of publication (P = 0.971), region of publication (P = 0.416), LOE (P = 0.342), surgery performed (P = 0.736), and two-year impact factor (IF) (P = 0.251) failed to correlate with conclusive statements. Of note, 80.9% (106/131) of meta-analyses and 61.8% of systematic reviews (34/55) provided conclusive statements (P = 0.009, †). Conclusions: Over 75% of systematic reviews published in the Annals of Surgery culminated in conclusive statements. Interestingly, meta-analyses were more likely to provide conclusive statements than systematic reviews, while LOE and IF failed to do so. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
5 pages, 428 KiB  
Viewpoint
Conference Accreditation and Need of a Bibliometric Measure to Distinguish Predatory Conferences
by Pooyan Makvandi, Anahita Nodehi and Franklin R. Tay
Publications 2021, 9(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9020016 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2915
Abstract
Academic conferences offer scientists the opportunity to share their findings and knowledge with other researchers. However, the number of conferences is rapidly increasing globally and many unsolicited e-mails are received from conference organizers. These e-mails take time for researchers to read and ascertain [...] Read more.
Academic conferences offer scientists the opportunity to share their findings and knowledge with other researchers. However, the number of conferences is rapidly increasing globally and many unsolicited e-mails are received from conference organizers. These e-mails take time for researchers to read and ascertain their legitimacy. Because not every conference is of high quality, there is a need for young researchers and scholars to recognize the so-called “predatory conferences” which make a profit from unsuspecting researchers without the core purpose of advancing science or collaboration. Unlike journals that possess accreditation indices, there is no appropriate accreditation for international conferences. Here, a bibliometric measure is proposed that enables scholars to evaluate conference quality before attending. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Problems of Scientometric Assessment of Publication Activity)
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