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Selected Works

Bibliometrics

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Connecting Research On Social Issues In Nanotechnology: The Center For Nanotechnology In Society At Arizona State University, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira Jan 2014

Connecting Research On Social Issues In Nanotechnology: The Center For Nanotechnology In Society At Arizona State University, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

Central to the emergence of new research topics is the creation of a research network. This paper looks at the creation of a network of researchers of social issues in nanotechnology and the role of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU) in the creation of this network. While there has been US investment in societal research on nanotechnology, a debate exists about the extent to which a research community has been created through these investments. This paper uses three approaches to examine the extent to which CNS-ASU is associated with the development of a research …


Validating Indicators Of Interdisciplinarity: Linking Bibliometric Measures To Studies Of Engineering Research Labs, David Roessner, Alan L. Porter, Nancy J. Nersessian, Stephen J. Carley Jan 2013

Validating Indicators Of Interdisciplinarity: Linking Bibliometric Measures To Studies Of Engineering Research Labs, David Roessner, Alan L. Porter, Nancy J. Nersessian, Stephen J. Carley

alan l porter

This article examines the extent to which specific features of interdisciplinary research are accurately reflected in selected bibliometric measures of scholarly publications over time. To test the validity of these measures, we compare knowledge of research processes and impact based on ethnographic studies of a well-established researcher’s laboratory, together with personal interview data, against bibliometric indicators of cognitive integration, diffusion, and impact represented in the entire portfolio of papers produced by this researcher over time.


The Rcn (Research Coordination Network) Experiment: Can We Build New Research Networks?, Alan L. Porter, Todd A. Crowl, Jon Garner Jan 2012

The Rcn (Research Coordination Network) Experiment: Can We Build New Research Networks?, Alan L. Porter, Todd A. Crowl, Jon Garner

alan l porter

The U.S. National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network (RCN) program broke new ground in funding the development of new research communities of practice. This assessment of RCN supports the conclusion that networking activity was increased for a sample set of projects compared to a control group. Journal articles resulting from RCN support score as highly interdisciplinary. Moreover, those articles appear as notably influential, being published in high impact journals and being highly cited. The RCN program does indeed seem to be fostering new biological science research networks.


Assessment Of Brazil’S Research Literature, David J. Schoeneck, Alan L. Porter, Ronald N. Kostoff, Elena M. Berger Jan 2011

Assessment Of Brazil’S Research Literature, David J. Schoeneck, Alan L. Porter, Ronald N. Kostoff, Elena M. Berger

alan l porter

This “country study” analyzes substantial samples of research papers by Brazilian authors drawn from two global databases. The approach and the findings may each be of interest. Our approach is to examine R&D outputs through bibliometrics (to identify key authors, institutions, journals, etc) and text mining with taxonomy generation (to identify pervasive research thrusts). We extend prior country studies by providing for interactive data access and exploring military-relevant R&D information. The resulting publication activity profiles provide insight on Brazilian R&D strengths and investment strategies, and help identify opportunities for collaboration. Brazil, a nation of 190 million, evidences a substantial research …


Is There A Shift To ‘Active Nanostructures'?, Vrishali Subramanian, Alan L. Porter, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira Jan 2010

Is There A Shift To ‘Active Nanostructures'?, Vrishali Subramanian, Alan L. Porter, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

It has been suggested that an important transition in the long-run trajectory of nanotechnology discovery and application is a shift from passive to active nanostructures. Such a shift could present increased societal impacts and need new approaches for risk assessment. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems (ANN) grant solicitation defines an active nanostructure as “An active nanostructure changes or evolves its state during its operation.” Active nanostructures examples include nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), nanomachines, self-healing materials, targeted drugs and chemicals, energy storage devices, and sensors. This paper considers two questions: (1) Is there a “shift” to active nanostructures? …


Is Science Becoming More Interdisciplinary? Measuring And Mapping Six Research Fields Over Time, Alan L. Porter, Ismael Rafols Jan 2009

Is Science Becoming More Interdisciplinary? Measuring And Mapping Six Research Fields Over Time, Alan L. Porter, Ismael Rafols

alan l porter

In the last two decades there have been studies claiming that science is becoming ever more interdisciplinary. However, the evidence has been anecdotal or partial. Here we investigate how the degree of interdisciplinarity has changed between 1975 and 2005 over six research domains. To do so, we compute well-established bibliometric indicators alongside a new index of interdisciplinarity (Integration score, aka Rao-Stirling diversity) and a science mapping visualization method. The results attest to notable changes in research practices over this 30 year period, namely major increases in number of cited disciplines and references per article (both show about 50% growth), and …