JournalTOCs

Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics
Number of Followers: 4

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Online) 2504-0537
Published by Frontiers Media

[96 journals]

Self-referencing rates in biological disciplines
- Authors: Sean M. Cascarina
  Abstract: The use of citation counts (among other bibliometrics) as a facet of academic research evaluation can influence citation behavior in scientific publications. One possible unintended consequence of this bibliometric is excessive self-referencing, where an author favors referencing their own publications over related publications from different research groups. Peer reviewers are often prompted by journals to determine whether references listed in the manuscript under review are unbiased, but there is no consensus on what is considered “excessive” self-referencing. Here, self-referencing rates are examined across multiple journals in the fields of biology, genetics, computational biology, medicine, pathology, and cell biology. Median self-referencing rates are between 8–13% across a range of journals within these disciplines. However, self-referencing rates vary as a function of total number of references, number of authors, author status/rank, author position, and total number of publications for each author. Importantly, these relationships exhibit interdisciplinary and journal-dependent differences that are not captured by examining broader fields in aggregate (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.). These results provide useful statistical guidelines for authors, editors, reviewers, and journals when considering referencing practices for individual publications, and highlight the effects of additional factors influencing self-referencing rates.
  PubDate: 2023-09-22T00:00:00Z
Sustainable collaboration on complex problems: a “who” not a
“what” challenge
- Authors: Josie Gibson
  Abstract: Despite decades of collective efforts and millions of dollars of cross-sector investment, collaborations created to address wicked problems—complex issues that span industries and sectors whose root causes are unclear—have had mixed success. The wicked problems terrain is tribal and competitive. It is contested by proponents of competing collective change and innovation tools and methodologies, advocates of different leadership approaches and, in recent years, big business champions who claim private enterprise is the most effective driver of solutions. This perspective article argues that while all these elements deserve attention, the primary focus of many collaborations reflects a Western scientific bias toward “what” and “how” questions—governance, processes, activities, metrics and outcomes—at the expense of the “who” component: the human relationships, or relational infrastructure, required to build and sustain effective collective efforts. This is crucial given the grueling realities of complex multi-year initiatives. This article explores the tension between this bias and the need to develop robust relational networks through skilful collective leadership, as reflected in numerous First Nations knowledge practices. We discuss leadership as a both an individual and a collective capability and highlight the need for better understanding of its significant role in anchoring, shaping and guiding effective system-based efforts that achieve positive impact.
  PubDate: 2023-09-21T00:00:00Z
Editorial: Linked open bibliographic data for real-time research
assessment
- Authors: Mohamed Ben Aouicha, Houcemeddine Turki, Mohamed Ali Hadj Taieb
  PubDate: 2023-09-15T00:00:00Z
Role-based responsibilities in securing research integrity: increasing
support for multi-level implementers
- Authors: Kristi Lõuk
  Abstract: This perspective article focuses on how researchers help to secure the research integrity-related responsibilities of various institutions in their various roles, as same researcher can fulfill the tasks of different stakeholders, be in different roles, and wear multiple hats simultaneously while performing duties at different levels. Institutions whose research integrity-related responsibilities are carried out by researchers should support the multi-level implementers more in carrying out these roles and responsibilities and consider their input when setting up tasks. In addition to having necessary policies and procedures, these should be actionable and supported by responsible research culture and environment. Furthermore, policies and action plans should be created in consideration of and in co-creation with the actual implementers. Realizing that the multiple-level role of researchers also helps to secure research integrity at the institutional and system level of science should go hand in hand with creating responsible research culture and environment where that input is taken into account. This in turn will help researchers deal with various current pressures, e.g., having not enough time or being subject to unfair evaluations.
  PubDate: 2023-09-14T00:00:00Z
Development and preliminary validation of an open access, open data and
open outreach indicator
- Authors: Evgenios Vlachos, Regine Ejstrup, Thea Marie Drachen, Bertil Fabricius Dorch
  Abstract: We present the development and preliminary validation of a new person-centered indicator that we propose is named “OADO” after its target concepts: Open Access (OA), Open Data (OD) and Open Outreach (OO). The indicator is comprised of two factors: the research factor indicating the degree of OA articles and OD in research; and the communication factor indicating the degree of OO in communication activities in which a researcher has participated. We stipulate that the weighted version of this new indicator, the Weighted-OADO, can be used to assess the openness of researchers in relation to their peers from their own discipline, department, or even group/center. The OADO is developed and customized to the needs of Elsevier's Research Information Management System (RIMS) environment, Pure. This offers the advantage of more accurate interpretations and recommendations for action, as well as the possibility to be implemented (and further validated) by multiple institutions, allowing disciplinary comparisons of the open practices across multiple institutes. Therefore, the OADO provides recommendations for action, and enables institutes to make informed decisions based on the indicator's outcome. To test the validity of the OADO, we retrieved the Pure publication records from two departments for each of the five faculties of the University of Southern Denmark and calculated the OADO of 995 researchers in total. We checked for definition validity, actionability, transferability, possibility of unexpected discontinuities of the indicator, factor independence, normality of the indicator's distributions across the departments, and indicator reliability. Our findings reveal that the OADO is a reliable indicator for departments with normally distributed values with regards to their Weighted-OADO. Unfortunately, only two departments displayed normal distributions, one from the health sciences and one from engineering. For departments where the normality assumption is not satisfied, the OADO can still be useful as it can indicate the need for making a greater effort toward openness, and/or act as an incentive for detailed registration of research outputs and datasets.
  PubDate: 2023-09-07T00:00:00Z
Viewing research assessment, the academic reward system, and academic
publishing through the power/knowledge lens of Foucault
- Authors: Timothy D. Bowman
  Abstract: The academic research assessment system, the academic reward system, and the academic publishing system are interrelated mechanisms that facilitate the scholarly production of knowledge. This article considers these systems using a Foucauldian lens to examine the power/knowledge relationships found within and through these systems. A brief description of the various systems is introduced followed by examples of instances where Foucault's power, knowledge, discourse, and power/knowledge concepts are useful to provide a broader understanding of the norms and rules associated with each system, how these systems form a network of power relationships that reinforce and shape one another.
  PubDate: 2023-08-29T00:00:00Z
Dark citations to Federal resources and their contribution to the public
health literature
- Authors: Jessica M. Keralis, Juan Albertorio-Díaz, Travis Hoppe
  Abstract: The term “dark citations,” which has been previously used to refer to citations of information products outside of traditional peer-reviewed journal articles, is adapted here to refer to those that are not linked to a known indexed identifier and are effectively invisible to traditional bibliometric analysis. We investigate an unexplored source of citations in the biomedical and public health literature by surveying the extent of dark citations across the U.S. government. We systematically focus on public health, quantify their occurrences across the government, and provide a comprehensive dataset for all dark citations within PubMed.
  PubDate: 2023-08-29T00:00:00Z
Editorial: Responsible Research and Innovation as a toolkit: indicators,
application, and context
- Authors: Tobias Buchmann, Marion Dreyer, Matthias Müller, Andreas Pyka
  PubDate: 2023-08-28T00:00:00Z
Editorial: Research integrity
- Authors: Teodora Konach, Rea Roje, Nicole Föger, Zoë H. Hammatt
  PubDate: 2023-08-18T00:00:00Z
Global visibility of publications through Digital Object Identifiers
- Authors: Houcemeddine Turki, Grischa Fraumann, Mohamed Ali Hadj Taieb, Mohamed Ben Aouicha
  Abstract: This brief research report analyzes the availability of Digital Object Identifiers (
  DOI s) worldwide, highlighting the dominance of large publishing houses and the need for unique persistent identifiers to increase the visibility of publications from developing countries. The study reveals that a considerable amount of publications from developing countries are excluded from the global flow of scientific information due to the absence of
  DOI s, emphasizing the need for alternative publishing models. The authors suggest that the availability of
  DOI s should receive more attention in scholarly communication and scientometrics, contributing to a necessary debate on
  DOI s relevant for librarians, publishers, and scientometricians.
  PubDate: 2023-08-17T00:00:00Z
Coordinating culture change across the research landscape
- Authors: Leslie D. McIntosh, Cynthia Hudson Vitale
  Abstract: Scientific integrity necessitates applying scientific methods properly, collecting and analyzing data appropriately, protecting human subjects rightly, performing studies rigorously, and communicating findings transparently. But who is responsible for upholding research integrity, mitigating misinformation, and increasing trust in science beyond individual researchers' We posit that supporting the scientific reputation requires a coordinated approach across all stakeholders: funding agencies, publishers, scholarly societies, research institutions, and journalists and media, and policy-makers.
  PubDate: 2023-08-10T00:00:00Z
The positive impact on translational research of Fondazione italiana di
ricerca per la Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica (AriSLA), a non-profit
foundation focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Convergence of
ex-ante evaluation and ex-post outcomes when goals are set upfront
- Authors: Stefania Guareschi, Maddalena Ravasi, Danila Baldessari, Silvia Pozzi, Tiziana Zaffino, Mario Melazzini, Anna Ambrosini
  Abstract: Charities investing on rare disease research greatly contribute to generate ground-breaking knowledge with the clear goal of finding a cure for their condition of interest. Although the amount of their investments may be relatively small compared to major funders, the advocacy groups' clear mission promotes innovative research and aggregates highly motivated and mission-oriented scientists. Here, we illustrate the case of Fondazione italiana di ricerca per la Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica (AriSLA), the main Italian funding agency entirely dedicated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research. An international benchmark analysis of publications derived from AriSLA-funded projects indicated that their mean relative citation ratio values (iCite dashboard, National Institutes of Health, U.S.) were very high, suggesting a strong influence on the referring international scientific community. An interesting trend of research toward translation based on the “triangle of biomedicine” and paper citations (iCite) was also observed. Qualitative analysis on researchers' accomplishments was convergent with the bibliometric data, indicating a high level of performance of several working groups, lines of research that speak of progression toward clinical translation, and one study that has progressed from the investigation of cellular mechanisms to a Phase 2 international clinical trial. The key elements of the success of the AriSLA investment lie in: (i) the clear definition of the objectives (research with potential impact on patients, no matter how far), (ii) a rigorous peer-review process entrusted to an international panel of experts, (iii) diversification of the portfolio with ad hoc selection criteria, which also contributed to bringing new experts and younger scientists to the field, and (iv) a close interaction of AriSLA stakeholders with scientists, who developed a strong sense of belonging. Periodic review of the portfolio of investments is a vital practice for funding agencies. Sharing information between funding agencies about their own policies and research assessment methods and outcomes help guide the international debate on funding strategies and research directions to be undertaken, particularly in the field of rare diseases, where synergy is a relevant enabling factor.
  PubDate: 2023-08-04T00:00:00Z
Analysis of the evolution of COVID-19 disease understanding through
temporal knowledge graphs
- Authors: Alessandro Negro, Fabio Montagna, Michael N. Teng, Tempestt Neal, Sylvia Thomas, Sayde King, Ridita Khan
  Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted two critical barriers hindering rapid response to novel pathogens. These include inefficient use of existing biological knowledge about treatments, compounds, gene interactions, proteins, etc. to fight new diseases, and the lack of assimilation and analysis of the fast-growing knowledge about new diseases to quickly develop new treatments, vaccines, and compounds. Overcoming these critical challenges has the potential to revolutionize global preparedness for future pandemics. Accordingly, this article introduces a novel knowledge graph application that functions as both a repository of life science knowledge and an analytics platform capable of extracting time-sensitive insights to uncover evolving disease dynamics and, importantly, researchers' evolving understanding. Specifically, we demonstrate how to extract time-bounded key concepts, also leveraging existing ontologies, from evolving scholarly articles to create a single temporal connected source of truth specifically related to COVID-19. By doing so, current knowledge can be promptly accessed by both humans and machines, from which further understanding of disease outbreaks can be derived. We present key findings from the temporal analysis, applied to a subset of the resulting knowledge graph known as the temporal keywords knowledge graph, and delve into the detailed capabilities provided by this innovative approach.
  PubDate: 2023-08-03T00:00:00Z
Is scientific knowledge socially constructed' A Bayesian account of
Laboratory Life
- Authors: Henry Small
  Abstract: In the book Laboratory Life Latour and Woolgar present an account of how scientific “facts” are formed through a process of microsocial interactions among individuals and “inscription devices” in the lab initially described as social construction. The process moves through a series of steps during which the details and nature of the object become more and more certain until all qualifications are dropped, and the “fact” emerges as secure scientific knowledge. An alternative to this account is described based on a Bayesian probabilistic framework which arrives at the same end point. The motive force for the constructivist approach appears to involve social processes of convincing colleagues while the Bayesian approach relies on the consistency of theory and evidence as judged by the participants. The role of social processes is discussed in Bayesian terms, the acquisition and asymmetry of information, and its analogy to puzzle solving. Some parallels between the Bayesian and constructivist accounts are noted especially in relation to information theory.
  PubDate: 2023-08-02T00:00:00Z
The international platform of registered systematic review and
meta-analysis protocols (INPLASY) at 3 years: an analysis of 4,658
registered protocols on inplasy.com, platform features, and website
statistics|Background|Methods|Results|Conclusions
- Authors: João Vitor dos Santos Canellas, Fabio Gamboa Ritto, Alessandro Rodolico, Eugenio Aguglia, Gustavo Vicentis de Oliveira Fernandes, Carlos Marcelo da Silva Figueredo, Mario Vianna Vettore
  Abstract: BackgroundINPLASY® is an international platform for registering systematic reviews and meta-analysis protocols that was launched in March 2020. INPLASY® provides an online database in which the protocols are maintained as permanent public records and can be accessed on its website (www.inplasy.com).MethodsWe described the database features and registered information of all records published since the launch of the registry on March 31, 2023. Additionally, we analyzed the website statistics dataset to explore user experience and promote data transparency.ResultsFour thousand six hundred fifty-eight records were registered in INPLASY®, and more than 94% of the protocols were published within 24 h. Most of the submissions were from China, followed by Portugal, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brazil. The INPLASY® website received 386,395 page views from 64,568 visitors during the first three years. The accesses were obtained from 170 countries. Most of the accesses were from China, followed by the US, the UK, and Portugal. The review status “completed and published” was observed in 898 protocols, and these studies were published in 372 different scientific peer-reviewed journals. The features of INPLASY® include the following: (i) INPLASY® identifier, a unique protocol number; (ii) the digital object identifier (
  DOI ) number, the URL of the protocol linked to a specific
  DOI ; (iii) ORCID update, INPLASY® automatically updates authors' ORCID page, including their protocol; and (iv) search tools, the protocols are freely accessible on www.inplasy.com.ConclusionsINPLASY® has several practical and useful features that should be considered when planning the registration of a systematic review protocol. Furthermore, the sharp increase in the number of protocols registered in INPLASY® in the first three years and the database statistics demonstrate that INPLASY® has become an important source of systematic review protocols. Therefore, authors should access INPLASY® before planning a future review study to avoid unintended duplication of efforts and to obtain timely registration.
  PubDate: 2023-07-31T00:00:00Z
Complexity leadership in action: a team science case
study|Introduction|Methods|Results|Discussion
- Authors: Gemma Jiang, Diane Boghrat, Jenny Grabmeier, Jennifer E. Cross
  Abstract: IntroductionThis team science case study explores one cross-disciplinary science institute's change process for redesigning a weekly research coordination meeting. The narrative arc follows four stages of the adaptive process in complex adaptive systems: disequilibrium, amplification, emergence, and new order.MethodsThis case study takes an interpretative, participatory approach, where the objective is to understand the phenomena within the social context and deepen understanding of how the process unfolds over time and in context. Multiple data sources were collected and analyzed.ResultsA new adaptive order for the weekly research coordination meeting was established. The mechanism for the success of the change initiative was best explained by complexity leadership theory.DiscussionImplications for team science practice include generating momentum for change, re-examining power dynamics, defining critical teaming professional roles, building multiple pathways towards team capacity development, and holding adaptive spaces. Promising areas for further exploration are also presented.
  PubDate: 2023-07-27T00:00:00Z
Evaluative altmetrics: is there evidence for its application to research
evaluation'|Introduction|Methods|Results|Discussion
- Authors: Wenceslao Arroyo-Machado, Daniel Torres-Salinas
  Abstract: IntroductionAltmetrics have been demonstrated as a promising tool for analyzing scientific communication on social media. Nevertheless, its application for research evaluation remains underdeveloped, despite the advancement of research in the study of diverse scientific interactions.MethodsThis paper develops a method for applying altmetrics in the evaluation of researchers, focusing on a case study of the Environment/Ecology ESI field publications by researchers at the University of Granada. We considered Twitter as a mirror of social attention, news outlets as media, and Wikipedia as educational, exploring mentions from these three sources and the associated actors in their respective media, contextualizing them using various metrics.ResultsOur analysis evaluated different dimensions such as the type of audience, local attention, engagement generated around the mention, and the profile of the actor. Our methodology effectively provided dashboards that gave a comprehensive view of the different instances of social attention at the author level.DiscussionThe use of altmetrics for research evaluation presents significant potential, as shown by our case study. While this is a novel method, our results suggest that altmetrics could provide valuable insights into the social attention that researchers garner. This can be an important tool for research evaluation, expanding our understanding beyond traditional metrics.
  PubDate: 2023-07-25T00:00:00Z
TechMaps: exploring technology relationships through patent information
based proximity
- Authors: Eduardo Perez-Molina, Fernando Loizides
  Abstract: Our work provides a novel method for rich information discovery about the evolution of technical fields and company developments through patent relationships. A new exploratory method and graphical tool to discover technology proximity based on patent classification information are introduced. By technology we mean a technical field (defined by an International Patent Classification—IPC—code or a combination of them) or an organization (such as a tech company, research center, or institution). A single data structure is used for characterizing both technical fields and organizations, to visualize them as items of the very same body. This new method generates two graphs: the first graph, the TechnologyMap, visualizes technology items in a 2D plot wherein technical fields and companies will appear positioned relative to each other; the. A second graph, the Focused TechnologyMap, visualizes technology items with respect to a selected one, the focus, which is located in the center of a circle whose radii correspond to the complete set of IPC codes. This article represents the process and algorithms used for production of the graphs, and solidifies the assumptions of validity by presenting two of the many successful test cases to which it was applied.
  PubDate: 2023-07-05T00:00:00Z
Responsibly shaping technology innovation for the energy transition: an
RRI indicator system as a tool
- Authors: Tobias Buchmann, Patrick Wolf, Matthias Müller, Marion Dreyer, Frank Dratsdrummer, Bianca Witzel
  Abstract: Efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions have had limited success. For many, the hopes rest on new energy innovations to advance the energy transition process. In this paper, we develop a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) base indicator system to steer the design of innovations in the field of energy transition innovations and, thus, improve social acceptance of these innovations. We propose a guideline for its application to assist R&D performing organizations and funding organizations in the design, selection, and communication of research proposals. The indicator system is intended to promote early integration of environmental and social aspects, support the formation of teams aware of the different responsibility aspects of innovation, and monitor progress in regard to relevant RRI dimensions.
  PubDate: 2023-06-29T00:00:00Z
Collaborative leadership in team science: dynamics of sense making,
decision making, and action taking
- Authors: Gemma Jiang
  Abstract: To help cross-disciplinary science teams navigate through internal and external complexities, this perspective article explores the application of three conceptual frameworks: Theory U, Divergence-Convergence Diamond, and Strategic Doing. These frameworks enable science teams to avoid common pitfalls by operationalizing collaborative leadership as iterative cycles of distributed sense making, decision making and action taking. Implications for team science practices include facilitating the process, prototyping the future and applying dynamic roles and responsibilities.
  PubDate: 2023-06-21T00:00:00Z