Rogers, JD. 2010. Citation analysis of nanotechnology at the field level: implications of R&D evaluation. RESEARCH EVALUATION 19 (4): 281-290

[Eugene Garfield]

Rogers, JD. 2010. Citation analysis of nanotechnology at the field level: 
implications of R&D evaluation. RESEARCH EVALUATION 19 (4): 281-290.

Author Full Name(s): Rogers, Juan D.
Language: English
Document Type: Article

KeyWords Plus: SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE; SLEEPING BEAUTIES; SCIENCE

Abstract: This article addresses the question of how much time it takes for 
contributions to the nanotechnology literature to establish themselves in the 
field by analyzing the dynamics of the citations to several cohorts of its papers 
and the consequences this has for the use of citations in evaluation of R&D. It 
focuses on the first ten years of publications (cohorts 1991 to 2000) in the 
field of nanotechnology and eighteen years (1991-2008) worth of citations in 
windows of increasing length for each cohort to establish some of the basic 
features of the dynamics of citations in this emerging field. It offers a 
characterization of the citation distributions of these cohorts of papers and 
analyzes the time it takes for information contained in those papers to be 
absorbed by the field as reflected in citations. With a measure developed for 
that purpose and graphical representation of several dynamical characteristics 
it finds that there are significant delays in the absorption of information from 
papers in each cohort. Many papers have sustained growth of citations for 
many years, sometimes a decade or more, at all levels of the absolute number 
of citations, and the rank of papers by number of citations has many changes 
over long periods of time. This suggests that more refined tools for analysis of 
field level characteristics of impact should be developed to pick up not only the 
early signs of a potential opportunity in the short term but also recognize 
topics with older antecedents on their way to a deep and sustained influence.

Addresses: Georgia Inst Technol, Sch Publ Policy, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
Reprint Address: Rogers, JD, Georgia Inst Technol, Sch Publ Policy, Atlanta, GA 
30332 USA.

E-mail Address: jdrogers at gatech.edu
ISSN: 0958-2029
DOI: 10.3152/095820210X12827366906409
URL (not open access): 
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/beech/rev/2010/00000019/00000004
/art00006