Publications

9 pages, 3244 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Correlation Analysis of Normalized Indicators of Citation

by Dmitry M. Kochetkov

Publications 2018, 6(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030039 - 13 Sep 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4939

Recently, more and more countries are entering the global race for university competitiveness. On the one hand, global rankings are a convenient tool for quantitative analysis. On the other hand, their indicators are often difficult to quickly calculate and they often contradict each [...] Read more.

Recently, more and more countries are entering the global race for university competitiveness. On the one hand, global rankings are a convenient tool for quantitative analysis. On the other hand, their indicators are often difficult to quickly calculate and they often contradict each other. The author of this paper hoped to use widely available indicators for a quick analysis of the University’s publication strategy and opted for the normalized citation indicators available in the SciVal analytical tool, namely, Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) and Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI). The author demonstrated the possibility of applying the correlation analysis to the impact indicators of a document and a journal on a sample of social and humanitarian fields at Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (PFUR, “RUDN” in Russian). A dot diagram of university (or country) documents was used to form a two-factor matrix (SNIP and FWCI) that was further divided into four quadrants. Such an analysis illustrated the present situation in that discipline. An analysis of the RUDN university publications revealed problems and prospects in the development of social sciences and humanities. A serious problem observed was that high-quality results were often published in low-impact journals that narrowed the results’ potential audience and, accordingly, the number of citations. A particular attention was paid to the application of the results in practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bibliometrics, Measurements and Research Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 5159 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Communicating Science through Comics: A Method

by Jan Friesen, John T. Van Stan II and Skander Elleuche

Publications 2018, 6(3), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030038 - 30 Aug 2018

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 12101

Abstract

Scientists are trained to tell stories, scientific stories. Training is also needed to comprehend and contextualize these highly nuanced and technical stories because they are designed to explicitly convey scientific results, delineate their limitations, and describe a reproducible “plot” so that any thorough [...] Read more.

Scientists are trained to tell stories, scientific stories. Training is also needed to comprehend and contextualize these highly nuanced and technical stories because they are designed to explicitly convey scientific results, delineate their limitations, and describe a reproducible “plot” so that any thorough reenactment can achieve a similar conclusion. Although a carefully constructed scientific story may be crystal clear to other scientists in the same discipline, they are often inaccessible to broader audiences. This is problematic as scientists are increasingly expected to communicate their work to broader audiences that range from specialists in other disciplines to the general public. In fact, science communication is of increasing importance to acquire funding and generate effective outreach, as well as introduce, and sometimes even justify, research to society. This paper suggests a simple and flexible framework to translate a complex scientific publication into a broadly-accessible comic format. Examples are given for embedding scientific details into an easy-to-understand storyline. A background story is developed and panels are generated that convey scientific information via plain language coupled with recurring comic elements to maximize comprehension and memorability. This methodology is an attempt to alleviate the inherent limitations of interdisciplinary and public comprehension that result from standard scientific publication and dissemination practices. We also hope that this methodology will help colleagues enter into the field of science comics. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 185 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Ethical Concerns in the Rise of Co-Authorship and Its Role as a Proxy of Research Collaborations

by Sameer Kumar

Publications 2018, 6(3), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030037 - 16 Aug 2018

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6354

Abstract

Increasing specialization, changes in the institutional incentives for publication, and a host of other reasons have brought about a marked trend towards co-authored articles among researchers. These changes have impacted Science and Technology (S&T) policies worldwide. Co-authorship is often considered to be a [...] Read more.

Increasing specialization, changes in the institutional incentives for publication, and a host of other reasons have brought about a marked trend towards co-authored articles among researchers. These changes have impacted Science and Technology (S&T) policies worldwide. Co-authorship is often considered to be a reliable proxy for assessing research collaborations at micro, meso, and macro levels. Although co-authorship in a scholarly publication brings numerous benefits to the participating authors, it has also given rise to issues of publication integrity, such as ghost authorships and honorary authorships. The code of conduct of bodies such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) make it clear that only those who have significantly contributed to the study should be on the authorship list. Those who have contributed little have to be appropriately “acknowledged” in footnotes or in the acknowledgement section. However, these principles are sometimes transgressed, and a complete solution still remains elusive. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bibliometrics, Measurements and Research Evaluation)

15 pages, 2629 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Bridge between Society and Universities: A Documentary Analysis of Science Shops

by Daniela De Filippo, Nuria Bautista-Puig, Elba Mauleón and Elías Sanz-Casado

Publications 2018, 6(3), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030036 - 01 Aug 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4338

Abstract

Citizen science surfaced as a new way of conducting research and science shops are one of the initiatives in which citizen collaboration with scientists has been most visible. These organisations provide independent and participatory support for research in response to civil society’s problems/needs. [...] Read more.

Citizen science surfaced as a new way of conducting research and science shops are one of the initiatives in which citizen collaboration with scientists has been most visible. These organisations provide independent and participatory support for research in response to civil society’s problems/needs. Although science shops have pioneered the furthering of citizen participation, the general public is still scantly aware of their existence. This study aimed to explore that matter, identifying and analysing the literature on science shops with bibliometric techniques. Different sources of information have been consulted; namely, Web of Science and SCOPUS database; Google Scholar; CORDIS European Projects Database; and My News. The information collected from 158 documents was analysed and their main characteristics identified. A map of science shops was constructed to show existing initiatives and those mentioned in the texts. We also offer a chronology of the main milestones on the subject mentioned in the texts. The results show the importance that countries like those in Europe, especially The Netherlands, attach to these activities and it is evident that the content can be very varied, although the environmental issues are highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Scholarly Publishing)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

1 pages, 141 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Persistent Citation of the Only Published Randomized Controlled Trial of Omega-3 Supplementation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Six Years after Its Retraction

by Ashley S Fulton, Alison M Coates, Marie T Williams, Peter RC Howe and Alison M Hill

Publications 2018, 6(3), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030035 - 27 Jul 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3505

Abstract

The authors requested the following corrections to their paper[...] Full article

10 pages, 233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Twitter in Spanish Communication Journals

by Victoria Tur-Viñes, Jesús Segarra-Saavedra and Tatiana Hidalgo-Marí

Publications 2018, 6(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030034 - 25 Jul 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5033

Abstract

This is an exploratory study on the Twitter profiles managed by 30 Spanish Communication journals. The aim is to analyse the profile management, to identify the features of the most interactive content, and to propose effective practices motivating strategic management. The management variables [...] Read more.

This is an exploratory study on the Twitter profiles managed by 30 Spanish Communication journals. The aim is to analyse the profile management, to identify the features of the most interactive content, and to propose effective practices motivating strategic management. The management variables considered were the following: the launch date of the journal and launch of the Twitter profile; published content and frequency of publication; number of publications in 2016; number of Twitter followers. The identification of the features of the most interactive tweets was performed in a 150-unit sample, taking into consideration the following factors: the number of retweets, likes, type of content (motivation), components forming the content, the date and time of publication, and origin of the publication (internal or unrelated). The results reveal notable practices and certain deficiencies in the strategic management of social profiles. Twitter represents an innovative opportunity in scientific dissemination, and it establishes an inalienable strategy for creating and maintaining the brand-journal while retaining the need to strengthen followers’ reciprocity. Other potential uses are suggested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Scholarly Publishing)

29 pages, 1831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Data-Driven Critical Review of Second Language Acquisition in the Past 30 Years

by Meng-Lin Chen

Publications 2018, 6(3), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030033 - 19 Jul 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6846

Abstract

This study aims to provide a comprehensive and data-driven review of the knowledge domain of second language acquisition (SLA) and pedagogy in the past 30 years. Using knowledge domain visualization techniques, the study first provides a review of SLA at the disciplinary level. [...] Read more.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive and data-driven review of the knowledge domain of second language acquisition (SLA) and pedagogy in the past 30 years. Using knowledge domain visualization techniques, the study first provides a review of SLA at the disciplinary level. It then identifies the major research areas and current research frontiers in the SLA research landscape based on high-quality data retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) databases. The study provides useful references for future research and pedagogy in the field in which literature reviews employing scientometric methodology and driven by data, such as the present one, are rare, and thus, are much in need of supplement views produced by traditional literature reviews. Full article

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 10134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Scientometric Study of Neurocomputing Publications (1992–2018): An Aerial Overview of Intrinsic Structure

by Manvendra Janmaijaya, Amit K. Shukla, Ajith Abraham and Pranab K. Muhuri

Publications 2018, 6(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030032 - 19 Jul 2018

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5458

Abstract

The international journal of neurocomputing (NC) is considered to be one of the most sought out journals in the computer science research fraternity. In this paper, an extensive bibliometric overview of this journal is performed. The bibliometric data is extracted from the Web [...] Read more.

The international journal of neurocomputing (NC) is considered to be one of the most sought out journals in the computer science research fraternity. In this paper, an extensive bibliometric overview of this journal is performed. The bibliometric data is extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) repository. The main objective of this study is to reveal internal structures and hidden inferences, such as highly productive and influential authors, most contributing countries, top institutions, collaborating authors, and so on. The CiteSpace and VOS viewer is used to visualize the graphical mapping of the bibliometric data. Further, the document co-citations network, cluster detection and references with strong citation burst is analyzed to reveal the intellectual base of NC publications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bibliometrics, Measurements and Research Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 1541 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The UK Scholarly Communication Licence: Attempting to Cut through the Gordian Knot of the Complexities of Funder Mandates, Publisher Embargoes and Researcher Caution in Achieving Open Access

by Julie Baldwin and Stephen Pinfield

Publications 2018, 6(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030031 - 13 Jul 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 15764

Abstract

Whilst take-up of open access (OA) in the UK is growing rapidly due partly to a number of funder mandates, managing the complexities of balancing compliance with these mandates against restrictive publisher policies and ingrained academic priorities, has resulted in UK higher education [...] Read more.

Whilst take-up of open access (OA) in the UK is growing rapidly due partly to a number of funder mandates, managing the complexities of balancing compliance with these mandates against restrictive publisher policies and ingrained academic priorities, has resulted in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) often struggling with confused researchers, complex workflows, and rising costs. In order to try to address this situation, the UK Scholarly Communication Licence (UK-SCL) was formulated to bypass the root causes of many of these challenges by implementing a licensing mechanism for multiple-mandate compliance in one single policy. This is the first empirical study to focus on the genesis of the UK-SCL and how its implementation has been conceived thus far. A qualitative research method was used, taking the form of 14 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders from the initiative across the UK. The results indicate that those working within UK HEIs are concerned with the complexity of the current OA policy landscape and are frustrated with the inertia within the current system, which has resulted in higher costs, further publisher restrictions, and has not addressed the underlying tensions in academic culture. The UK-SCL is seen by its initiators as a way to achieve further transition towards OA and take back some element of control of the content produced at their institutions. The study concludes by modelling the ways in which the UK-SCL is intended to impact relationships between key stakeholders, and discussing possible implementation futures. Full article

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 2357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Exploration of the Sub-Register of Chemical Engineering Research Papers Published in English

by Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof and Anna Charalambidou

Publications 2018, 6(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030030 - 07 Jul 2018

Viewed by 7892

Abstract

The increased pressures for high-volume, high-impact publications in English language and the high rejection rates of submitted manuscripts for publications present an often unsurpassable obstacle for (early career) researchers. At the same time, register variation of peer-reviewed journals—that can contribute to whether a [...] Read more.

The increased pressures for high-volume, high-impact publications in English language and the high rejection rates of submitted manuscripts for publications present an often unsurpassable obstacle for (early career) researchers. At the same time, register variation of peer-reviewed journals—that can contribute to whether a paper is accepted for publication—has received little attention. This paper redresses this gap, by investigating the register (especially discourse moves and lexical choices) in 60 published, original-research articles on wastewater treatment published in four Chemical Engineering journals, with impact factor (IF) above 2. Our survey shows that chemical engineering research publications tend to comply with a set of requirements: multidisciplinarity, brevity, co-authorship, focus on the description of practical results (rather than methods), and awareness of non-specialised audiences. Lexical choices were analysed through frequency tables, phrase nets and word trees produced by data visualisation software (ManyEyes). It was found that less discipline-specific vocabulary is used in higher IF journals and this is interpreted within the current context of manuscript publication and consumption. This study concludes that data visualisation can provide an efficient and effective tool for prospective authors that wish to gauge telling details of the sub-register of a specific journal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Writing and Publishing Scientific Research Papers in English)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 214 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Open Access in Vocational Education and Training Research

by Karin Langenkamp, Bodo Rödel, Kerstin Taufenbach and Meike Weiland

Publications 2018, 6(3), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030029 - 05 Jul 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5261

Abstract

The article presents a research project at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany and reflects the perspective of researchers in the field of vocational education and training (VET). It investigates the technical and structural, policy-related, and normative and inherent [...] Read more.

The article presents a research project at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany and reflects the perspective of researchers in the field of vocational education and training (VET). It investigates the technical and structural, policy-related, and normative and inherent academic research conditions exerting an influence on the acceptance, dissemination, and use of Open Access (OA). The research project focuses on the German-speaking countries. VET research represents an interlinking of various related academic research areas, rather than comprising a stand-alone discipline. Therefore, the assumption must be that the results of the project will be at least partially transferable to other fields within the social sciences and the humanities and will thus contribute towards findings with regard to OA across the whole of the latter domain. The background to the project is underpinned by science communication and by media theory. The empirical basis of the study has its foundations in a Sequential Mixed Method Design with a qualitative strand, followed by a quantitative strand. The qualitative exploration via focus groups will lead to hypotheses for the online survey. The online survey will be aimed at academic researchers from various disciplines who share common ground in that they address topics that are related to VET research. The realisation of the research project is planned for 2018–2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Publications, Volume 6, Issue 3 (September 2018) – 11 articles

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI