Schwartz FW, Ibaraki M "Hydrogeological research: Beginning of the end or end of the beginning?" Ground Water 39(4):492-498 July-August 2001

[Eugene Garfield]

Frank W. Schwartz : frank at geology.ohio-state.edu


Title          Hydrogeological research: Beginning of the end
               or end of the beginning?
Author         Schwartz FW, Ibaraki M
Journal        GROUND WATER 39 (4): 492-498 JUL-AUG 2001
Document type: Article  Language: English       Cited References: 9 Times
Cited: 4

Abstract:
This paper uses citation data to assess whether articles published in key
ground water journals such as Ground Water (GW) and Water Resources Research
(WRR) are impacting research. Citation information was obtained from SCI
Journal Citation Reports and The Web of Science - databases maintained by
the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Information extracted from
The Web of Science was processed further to remove corrections to papers,
discussion/replies, and book reviews. Generally, there are many ground water
papers published, but citations of these papers are limited. Approximately
10% to 15% of WRR articles, and 2% to 3% of GW articles attract more than 50
citations in their lifetimes. In both GW and WRR, the top 10% of papers
eventually will contribute nearly half of the total yearly citations.
Another emerging trend is a diminishing emphasis on citations to new work as
compared to work more than 10 years in age. When articles in Ground Water or
Journal of Hydrology cite papers in Water Resources Research, those papers
cite work 10 or more years old half of the time. If one believes that
citations are a measure of science impact, then there is cause for concern.
Research is inefficient with much produced for little gain. On a typical
industrial life-cycle curve, ground water research is likely ranked as
mature and close to aging. At this stage, much work will have been completed
and the number of truly impactful problems will have dwindled to just a few.

Addresses:
Schwartz FW, Ohio State Univ, Dept Geol Sci, Mendenhall Lab, Columbus, OH
43210 USA
Ohio State Univ, Dept Geol Sci, Mendenhall Lab, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
Publisher:
GROUND WATER PUBLISHING CO, WESTERVILLE
IDS Number: 448NK
ISSN: 0017-467X

Cited Author     Cited Work           Volume      Page Year

BARKER JA       PARADIGMS BUSINESS D                   1992
FREEZE RA       GROUNDWATER                            1979
GARFIELD E      150 ANN M AAAS PHIL                    1998
GLASS B         SCIENCE             171        23      1971
HARWIT M        COSMIC DISCOVERY                       1981
HORGAN J        END SCI                                1997
MADDOX J        WHAT REMAINS BE DISC                   1998
PETERS T        CIRCLE INNOVATION                      1997
Roussel PA      3 GENERATION R D                       1991






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________________________________________________________________
Eugene Garfield, PhD.  email: garfield at codex.cis.upenn.edu
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