Category Archives: Research Type

Identify Potential Opportunity for Research Collaboration Using Bibliometrics

Network analysis, Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type

In recent decades, there has been a notable shift toward R&D that crosses disciplines and organizational boundaries. One reason is because of the complexity and scope of the problems that society is currently facing (e.g., global warming, emerging infectious diseases, and loss of natural resources). These problems require innovative solutions that integrate knowledge from different disciplines. The concept of networking R&D is therefore increasingly important. However, the main challenge in initiating any cross discipline development is how to identify the potential groups of experts for collaboration and which areas of expertise they specialize in. One common expert identification method is based on social connections, i.e., ask people and follow referrals until finding someone with appropriate expertise. However, this could be a time-consuming and biased task. Fortunately with the availability and accessibility of research literature and the advancement in information retrieval, natural language processing, and machine learning, potential experts can be identified automatically from such information sources.

This study aims to apply bibliometric analysis of research publications to discover potential research collaboration among key researchers. To address this challenge, two research questions are needed to be answered: (1) who are the key researchers/practitioners in the specified field? and (2) are there any forms of collaboration or linkages among these experts in the field?

The analysis can identify experts whose relationships have already been established as well as for those who never know each other, yet seem to share similar research interests. The latter case can be considered as a hidden network in which the collaboration among those experts can also be initiated.

https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-555989434/identify-potential-opportunity-for-research-collaboration

Author(s): Nathasit Gerdsri, Alisa Kongthon
Organization(s): National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Mahidol University
Source: International Journal of Business
Year: 2018

MAPPING OF THE BRAZILIAN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION ON FACILITY LOCATION (full-text)

Research Examples, Research profiling

Mathematical models are relevant to indicate the optimal location of facilities and, consequently, help in the search for efficiency in the supply chain. Although facility location problems are consolidated in the Operational Research field, few publications are dedicated to investigate the profile of the academic production (the amount of paper published), aiming to direct new studies on the subject and propose models that solve the current challenges. Thus, this paper aims to present a scientometric analysis of the articles on facility location published in the Web of Science, in order to verify the profile of Brazilian scientific production. As result, approximately 2% of the papers have researchers affiliated to Brazilian institutions. The interest for the subject is recent, with emphasis on universities. Brazil maintains an intense international collaboration network, cooperating with 45 different countries, especially USA. Finally, there is opportunity for publications that include the environmental dimention to mathematical models and for expansion in company-university-government collaboration.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0101-7438.2018.038.02.0307

Author(s): Vanessa de Almeida Guimarães, Glaydston Mattos Ribeiro, Maxwel de Azevedo-Ferreira
Organization(s): Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca – CEFET/RJ, Programa de Engenharia de Transportes – COPPE/UFRJ
Source: Pesquisa Operacional
Year: 2018

Identifying translational indicators and technology opportunities for nanomedical research using tech mining: The case of gold nanostructures

Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators

Clinical translation of scientific discoveries from bench to bedside is typically a challenging process with sporadic progress along its trajectory. Analyzing R&D can provide key intelligence on advancing biomedical innovation in target domains of interest. In this study, we explore the feasibility of using a streamlined tech mining approach for identification of translational indicators and potential opportunities, using observable markers extracted from selected research literature. We apply this strategy to analyze a set of 23,982 PubMed records that involved gold nanostructures (GNSs) research. Nine indicators are generated to assess what different GNSs research activities had achieved and to predict where GNSs research will likely go. We believe such analysis can provide useful translation intelligence for researchers, funding agencies, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.08.002

Author(s): Jing Ma, Natalie F. Abrams, Alan L. Porter, Donghua Zhu, Dorothy Farrell
Organization(s): Shenzhen University, NIH, Beijing Institute of Technology
Source: Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Year: 2018

A case study on the use of machine learning techniques for supporting technology watch

Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators, Tech mining

Technology Watch human agents have to read many documents in order to manually categorize and dispatch them to the correct expert, that will later add valued information to each document. In this two step process, the first one, the categorization of documents, is time consuming and relies on the knowledge of a human categorizer agent. It does not add direct valued information to the process that will be provided in the second step, when the document is revised by the correct expert.

This paper proposes Machine Learning tools and techniques to learn from the manually pre-categorized data to automatically classify new content. For this work a real industrial context was considered. Text from original documents, text from added value information and Semantic Annotations of those texts were used to generate different models, considering manually pre-established categories. Moreover, three algorithms from different approaches were used to generate the models. Finally, the results obtained were compared to select the best model in terms of accuracy and also on the reduction of the amount of document readings (human workload).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.datak.2018.08.001

Author(s): Alain Perez, Rosa Basagoiti, Ronny Adalberto Cortez, Felix Larrinaga, Ekaitz Barrasa, Ainara Urrutia
Organization(s): Mondragon Unibertsitatea
Source: Data & Knowledge Engineering
Year: 2018

Correlation of Betel Quid with Oral Cancer from 1998 to 2017 A Study Based on Bibliometric Analysis (full-text)

Research Examples, Research profiling

Betel quid chewing has been a major risk factor for oral cancer (OC) in southern China. This study aimed to analyze the scientific publications on the relationship between betel quid chewing and OC and construct a model to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate pertinent publications from 1998 to 2017.

The publications from 1998 to 2017 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Microsoft Excel, Thomson Data Analyzer, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace software were used to analyze the publication outcomes, journals, countries/regions, institutions, authors, research areas, and research frontiers.

A total of 788 publications on the relationship between betel quid chewing and OC published until October 25, 2017, were identified. The top 4 related journals were Journal of Oral Pathology Medicine, Oral Oncology, Plos One, and International Journal of Cancer. The top five countries engaged in related research included China, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. The corresponding disciplines, such as oncology, oral surgery, pathology, environmental and occupational health, and toxicology, were mainly concentrated in three disciplines. The subject terms squamous cell carcinoma, OC, betel quid, expression, oral submucous fibrosis, India, and p53 ranked first among research hotspots. The burst terms squamous cell carcinoma, OC, betel quid, and expression ranked first in research frontiers.

Research in this area emphasized hotspots such as squamous cell carcinoma, OC, oral submucosal fibrosis, betel quid, and tobacco. The annual number of publications steadily decreased from 1998 to 2017, with a lack of a systematic study from interdisciplinary perspectives, inadequate pertinent journals, limited regions with the practice of betel quid chewing, and insufficient participation of researchers, which indicate that as the prevalence of OC increases, particularly in China, research in this area warrants further expansion.

link to full-paper https://journals.lww.com/cmj/Fulltext/2018/08200/Correlation_of_Betel_Quid_with_Oral_Cancer_from.14.aspx

Author(s): Mu Wang, Chang Xiao, Ping Ni, Jian-Jun Yu, Xiao-Wan Wang, Hong Sun
Organization(s): Central South University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Source: Chinese Medical Journal
Year: 2018

Mapping the Healthcare Service Quality Domain: A Bibliometric Analysis (full-text)

Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type

Quality in healthcare services has become a subject of study, acquiring a special connotation for both individual and collective health services.
The aim of this study is to examine the scientific literature on healthcare service quality indexed in SCOPUS between 1994 and 2015. A bibliometric study was conducted using the SCOPUS database along with a structured search equation. A total of 256 academic publications were retrieved and analysed for quantity, quality and structure bibliometric indicators.
The interest in the present topic has been increasing exponentially during the past years. The year of 2014 was the most productive period, with 34 research papers published. Likewise, it is worth noting that the existing literature has focused on quality and satisfaction-related issues. Studies conducted between 1994 and 2015 aimed to measure the level of satisfaction among the users of healthcare services using the SERVQUAL model, proving its applicability for quality management in healthcare.

DOI : 10.7860/JCDR/2018/30361.11863

link to Full Paper

Author(s): Alejandro Valencia-Arias, Lemy Bran Piedrahita, Alejandra Botero Zapata, Martha Benjumea, Lucia Palacios Moya
Organization(s): Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Institución Universitaria Escolme
Source: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
Year: 2018

Institutional shaping of research priorities: A case study on avian influenza

Research evaluation, Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type, ST&I policy

Since outbreaks in 2003, avian influenza has received a considerable amount of funding and become a controversial science policy issue in various respects. Like in many other global and multidisciplinary societal problems fraught with high levels of uncertainty, a variety of perspectives have emerged over how to “tackle” avian influenza and public voices have expressed concern over how research funds are being allocated. In this article, we document if and how research agendas are being informed by public policy debates. We use qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the relations between expectations of outcomes of public science and the existing research landscape. Interviews with a cross-section of stakeholders reveal a wide range of perspectives and values associated with the nature and objectives of existing research avenues. We find that the landscape of public avian influenza research is not directly driven by expectations of societal outcomes. Instead, it is shaped by three institutional drivers: pharmaceutical industry priorities, publishing and public research funding pressures, and the mandates of science-based policy or public health organizations. These insights suggest that, in research prioritization, funding agencies should embrace a broad perspective of research governance that explicitly considers underlying institutional drivers. Deliberative approaches in public priority setting might help to make agendas more plural and diverse and thus more responsive to the contested and uncertain nature of avian influenza research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.07.005

Author(s): Matthew L.Wallace, Ismael Ràfols
Organization(s): Universitat Politècnica de València
Source: Research Policy
Year: 2018

Changes in the structures and directions of destination management and marketing research: A bibliometric mapping study, 2005–2016

Biz lit, Data Type, Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type

The growing importance of destinations as loci for change in tourism systems has led to the recent accelerated growth of destination management and marketing (DMM) research. This paper conducts an integrated exploration of the structure and interconnections, and the dynamics of the recent growth of DMM research in terms of research fronts and trajectories. A quantitative, visualization-rich approach is proposed, based on bibliometric mapping networks comprising DMM-relevant articles extracted from 49 tourism journals published from 2005 to 2016. The results reveal a DMM structure consisting of 10 key clusters. Sustainable development, competitiveness of tourist destinations, destination development and innovation, and ICT/social media are found to have rapidly evolved as research fronts, while the more traditional research clusters on destination perception and tourist decision-making have developed more slowly. Significant interactions can be observed between management- and marketing-oriented research domains. At deeper levels of analysis, more diverse research trajectories stand out, including those focusing on destination governance; knowledge and experience-based analytical frameworks; service-related domains; subjective issues such as emotions, attachment, and identity; destination brand equity; and sustainability. The paper also shows that additional value will come from research that integrates up-to-now distant DMM topics. The results of this study can help policymakers, practitioners, and scholars understand the recent progress in, and the major trends shaping, the DMM research agenda.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2018.06.005

Author(s): Alfonso Ávila-Robinson, Naoki Wakabayashi
Organization(s): Kyoto University
Source: Journal of Destination Marketing & Management
Year: 2018

Electromobility research in Germany and China: structural differences

Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type, Strategic planning

Electromobility (e-mobility) is applicable to issues from sustainable transportation to revolutionary driving behaviour. The wide-ranging influence of this concept calls for a shift toward an internationalization of e-mobility research in developed and developing countries alike. Germany and China, as the major exporters and volume producers in the automotive industry, have established the goal of becoming market leaders in e-mobility by 2020. Compared to China, Germany, as a forerunner in the field of e-mobility, is unexpectedly lagging behind in both the sale volume of electric vehicles (EVs) and the share of international publications. Since 2006, China has been the second largest single “producer” of EV-related published research, trailing only the United States. However, the technological capabilities—applying science to real-world issues—seem to be under-represented in these publications. This paper explores structural differences in e-mobility research landscapes and examines possible contextual explanations for the differences between Germany and China. The study involves a detailed comparison of articles sourced from the two countries, beginning with a broad overview of recent research and ending with a short content analysis of the statement concerning current progress and practical challenges for e-mobility development in Germany and China. The conclusion reached is that both countries have explored topics related to EV modes, batteries, energy management and the smart grid; however, specific terms of interest have evolved differently in the two countries. Compared with China, Germany has not achieved a rapid increase in the number of international publications but has still accumulated a vast reservoir of scientific talents and technological resources through the scientific collaboration between academia and industry. Universities, as the main loci of scientific research in China, have actively engaged in international cooperation, addressing problems with no apparent differences from those addressed in Germany. The authors’ views relative to the development of e-mobility in the two countries vary greatly from group to group, indicating that differences should be considered in both the pattern of knowledge production and the research context.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2873-9

Author(s):Qu Zhao
Organization: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Source: Scientometrics
Year: 2018

Interdisciplinarity and collaboration: on the relationship between disciplinary diversity in departmental affiliations and reference lists

Interdisciplinarity, Research Examples

This study explores the characteristics of scientific activity patterns through co-author affiliations to obtain new insights into interdisciplinary research. To classify the interdisciplinarity in research, we explored and compared two different approaches: the diversity of disciplines reflected in the listed affiliations of the authors and the diversity of the subject categories reflected in the reference list. To assess the diversity in departmental affiliations, we developed an explorative methodology that retrieves feature words from a combination of manual work and the thesaurus function in the Thomson Data Analyzer text mining tool. To assess the diversity in references, we followed the conventional approach applied in previous work. With both approaches, we relied on diversity as the measure for assessing interdisciplinarity of 157,710 articles published in PloS One (2007–2016). Based on a comparison between the results of both approaches, our study confirms that different methodologies and indicators can produce seriously inconsistent, and even contradictory results. In addition, different indicators may capture different understandings of such a multi-faceted concept as interdisciplinarity. Our results are summarized in a schematic representation of this twofold perspective as a method of indexing the different types of interdisciplinarity commonly found in research studies.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2853-0

Author(s): Lin Zhang, Beibei Sun, Zaida Chinchilla-Rodríguez, Lixin Chen, Ying Huang
Organization(s): Wuhan University, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power
Source: Scientometrics
Year: 2018