Aksnes DW. "Characteristics of highly cited papers" RESEARCH EVALUATION 12 (3): 159-170 DEC 2003

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: Dag.W.Aksnes at nifu.no

Title: Characteristics of highly cited papers

Author(s): Aksnes DW

Source: RESEARCH EVALUATION 12 (3): 159-170 DEC 2003

Document Type: Article  Language: English Cited References: 29 Times Cited:0


Addresses: Aksnes DW (reprint author), Norwegian Inst Studies Res & Higher
Educ, NIFU, Hegdehaugsveien 31, Oslo, NO-0352 Norway
Norwegian Inst Studies Res & Higher Educ, NIFU, Oslo, NO-0352 Norway

Abstract:
Highly cited articles are very different from 'ordinary' cited articles.
Typically, they are authored by a large number of scientists, often
involving international collaboration. The majority of the papers represent
regular journal articles (81%), although review articles (12%) are
over-represented compared to the national average. The citation curves of
highly cited papers follow a typical pattern of rise and decline. However,
different types of citation curves can be identified, reflecting possible
differences in the cognitive function of the articles. Highly cited papers
typically obtain citations from a large number of different journals and
from papers representing both close and remote fields. However, this pattern
is not very different from the average distribution for all papers. We
discuss how the findings can be explained by introducing a conceptual
distinction between quality dynamics and visibility dynamics.

Addresses: Aksnes DW (reprint author), Norwegian Inst Studies Res & Higher
Educ, NIFU, Hegdehaugsveien 31, Oslo, NO-0352 Norway
Norwegian Inst Studies Res & Higher Educ, NIFU, Oslo, NO-0352 Norway


EXCERPT

SELECTION CRITERIA (p.160)

A small scientific nation such as Norway has a rather limited annual
production of papers being very highly cited.  For that reason alone, we
have analysed the scientific production over a longer period of time: the
15-year period 1981-1996.

We applied a five-year citation window as basis for our analyses.  That is,
for an article published in e.g. 1991 we counted the citations to this
article in the five-year period 1991-1995.  A five-year interval was
selected because it is often used in bibliometric analyses and is
intermediate with respect to a short- and a long-term citation window.
Since the variability of citedness is expected to increase with the size of
the citation window, a five-year interval is sufficient long term for a
distinct polarisation pattern to occur.  By applying such a methodology,
articles with a very slow or "delayed" citation growth, may, however, be
missed - but such articles are rather unusual.


DISCUSSION: (.167-168)

In our study we have examined the bibliometric characteristics of articles
by Norwegian researchers that are highly cited within their fields.Although
limited in scope, the papers analysed represent the very top of a
publication set of more than 45,000 publications.  Various hypotheses
concerning highly cited papers have been examined.  We have found that these
papers typically are authored by a large number of scientists, often
involving international collaboration.  The citation curves of the papers
generally follow a typical pattern of rise and decline, with a steep decline
in citedness five years after publication.  Nevertheless, there are large
differences in the citation pattern of the individual papers. Although most
of the papers are published in high impact journals, there are also papers
present in poorly cited journals.  The large majority of the highly cited
papers represent regular journal articles, although the share of review
articles is higher than in the overall national subset.

On several issues, our results have confirmed findings of former studies.
This suggests that highly cited papers have certain recurrent common
characteristics.  Still, the question of generality remains uncertain.
First our study is based on a particular definition of highly cited. Another
definition or set of criteria would give a different sample and thereby
partly change the characteristics identified.  Second, our analysis is
carried out for one nation only -- Norway (although two-thirds of the highly
cited articles were co-authored by foreign scientists).  Norway is well
integrated into the international scientific arena, and Norwegian
researchers collaborate extensively with researchers abroad.  As a
scientific nation Norway is rather small and is among the less R&D intensive
countries in the OECD.  The country has research activities in a broad range
of scientific specialities, but is specialising in research related to its
natural resources.  Because of the high share of international co-authorship
among the highly cited papers and the relatively low percentage of citations
from Norwegian authors (also for all papers), we still think the
peculiarities of Norway as a research nationl should not be given too much
emphasis when interpreting the results.

In our study there are several intriguing findings, which allows a further
step: explanation of patterns in highly cited papers.  In the last part we
will discuss how these findings can be explained by introducing a conceptual
distinction between quality dynamics and visibility dynamics.



Publisher: BEECH TREE PUBLISHING, 10 WATFORD CLOSE,, GUILDFORD GU1 2EP,
SURREY, ENGLAND

Subject Category: INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE
IDS Number: 779LY
ISSN: 0958-2029

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