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Wu CC, Islam MM, Poly TN, Weng YC. Artificial Intelligence in Kidney Disease: A Comprehensive Study and Directions for Future Research. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:397. [PMID: 38396436 PMCID: PMC10887584 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14040397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool in the field of healthcare, with an increasing number of research articles evaluating its applications in the domain of kidney disease. To comprehend the evolving landscape of AI research in kidney disease, a bibliometric analysis is essential. The purposes of this study are to systematically analyze and quantify the scientific output, research trends, and collaborative networks in the application of AI to kidney disease. This study collected AI-related articles published between 2012 and 20 November 2023 from the Web of Science. Descriptive analyses of research trends in the application of AI in kidney disease were used to determine the growth rate of publications by authors, journals, institutions, and countries. Visualization network maps of country collaborations and author-provided keyword co-occurrences were generated to show the hotspots and research trends in AI research on kidney disease. The initial search yielded 673 articles, of which 631 were included in the analyses. Our findings reveal a noteworthy exponential growth trend in the annual publications of AI applications in kidney disease. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation emerged as the leading publisher, accounting for 4.12% (26 out of 631 papers), followed by the American Journal of Transplantation at 3.01% (19/631) and Scientific Reports at 2.69% (17/631). The primary contributors were predominantly from the United States (n = 164, 25.99%), followed by China (n = 156, 24.72%) and India (n = 62, 9.83%). In terms of institutions, Mayo Clinic led with 27 contributions (4.27%), while Harvard University (n = 19, 3.01%) and Sun Yat-Sen University (n = 16, 2.53%) secured the second and third positions, respectively. This study summarized AI research trends in the field of kidney disease through statistical analysis and network visualization. The findings show that the field of AI in kidney disease is dynamic and rapidly progressing and provides valuable information for recognizing emerging patterns, technological shifts, and interdisciplinary collaborations that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this critical domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Chen Wu
- Department of Healthcare Information and Management, School of Health and Medical Engineering, Ming Chuan University, Taipei 111, Taiwan;
| | - Md. Mohaimenul Islam
- Outcomes and Translational Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Tahmina Nasrin Poly
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
| | - Yung-Ching Weng
- Department of Healthcare Information and Management, School of Health and Medical Engineering, Ming Chuan University, Taipei 111, Taiwan;
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2
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Correlating article citedness and journal impact: an empirical investigation by field on a large-scale dataset. Scientometrics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04622-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIn spite of previous research demonstrating the risks involved, and counsel against the practice as early as 1997, some research evaluations continue to use journal impact alone as a surrogate of the number of citations of hosted articles to assess the latter’s impact. Such usage is also taken up by research administrators and policy-makers, with very serious implications. The aim of this work is to investigate the correlation between the citedness of a publication and the impact of the host journal. We extend the analyses of previous literature to all STEM fields. Then we also aim to assess whether this correlation varies across fields and is stronger for highly cited authors than for lowly cited ones. Our dataset consists of a total of almost one million authorships of 2010–2019 publications authored by about 28,000 professors in 230 research fields. Results show a low correlation between the two indicators, more so for lowly cited authors as compared to highly cited ones, although differences occur across fields.
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Wenaas L. Choices of immediate open access and the relationship to journal ranking and publish-and-read deals. Front Res Metr Anal 2022; 7:943932. [DOI: 10.3389/frma.2022.943932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of academic journals is significant in the reward system of science, which makes their rank important for the researcher's choice in deciding where to submit. The study asks how choices of immediate gold and hybrid open access are related to journal ranking and how the uptake of immediate open access is affected by transformative publish-and-read deals, pushed by recent science policy. Data consists of 186,621 articles published with a Norwegian affiliation in the period 2013–2021, all of which were published in journals ranked in a National specific ranking, on one of two levels according to their importance, prestige, and perceived quality within a discipline. The results are that researchers chose to have their articles published as hybrid two times as often in journals on the most prestigious level compared with journals on the normal level. The opposite effect was found with gold open access where publishing on the normal level was chosen three times more than on the high level. This can be explained by the absence of highly ranked gold open access journals in many disciplines. With the introduction of publish-and-read deals, hybrid open access has boosted and become a popular choice enabling the researcher to publish open access in legacy journals. The results confirm the position of journals in the reward system of science and should inform policymakers about the effects of transformative arrangements and their costs against the overall level of open access.
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Kaltenbrunner W, Birch K, van Leeuwen T, Amuchastegui M. Changing publication practices and the typification of the journal article in science and technology studies. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2022; 52:3063127221110623. [PMID: 35903817 PMCID: PMC9483190 DOI: 10.1177/03063127221110623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we study the development of the STS journal article format since the 1980s. Our analysis is based on quantitative data that suggest that the diversity of various journal publication types has diminished over the past four decades, while the format of research articles has become increasingly typified. We contextualize these historical shifts in qualitative terms, drawing on a set of 76 interviews with STS scholars and other stakeholders in scholarly publishing. Here, we first portray the STS publication culture of the 1980s and early 1990s. We then contrast this with an analysis of publishing practices today, which are characterized by a much more structured research process that is largely organized around the production of typified journal articles. Whereas earlier studies have often emphasized the importance of rhetorical persuasion strategies as drivers in the development of scholarly communication formats, our analysis highlights a complementary and historically novel set of shaping factors, namely, increasingly quantified research (self-)assessment practices in the context of a projectification of academic life. We argue that reliance on a highly structured publication format is a distinct strategy for making STS scholarship 'doable' in the sense of facilitating the planning ability and daily conduct of research across a variety of levels - including the writing process, collaboration with peers, attracting funding, and interaction with journals. We conclude by reflecting on the advantages and downsides of the typification of journal articles for STS.
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Bibliometrics in Press. Representations and uses of bibliometric indicators in the Italian daily newspapers. Scientometrics 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04341-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractScholars in science and technology studies and bibliometricians are increasingly revealing the performative nature of bibliometric indicators. Far from being neutral technical measures, indicators such as the Impact Factor and the h-index are deeply transforming the social and epistemic structures of contemporary science. At the same time, scholars have highlighted how bibliometric indicators are endowed with social meanings that go beyond their purely technical definitions. These social representations of bibliometric indicators are constructed and negotiated between different groups of actors within several arenas. This study aims to investigate how bibliometric indicators are used in a context, which, so far, has not yet been covered by researchers, that of daily newspapers. By a content analysis of a corpus of 583 articles that appeared in four major Italian newspapers between 1990 and 2020, we chronicle the main functions that bibliometrics and bibliometric indicators played in the Italian press. Our material shows, among other things, that the public discourse developed in newspapers creates a favorable environment for bibliometrics-centered science policies, that bibliometric indicators contribute to the social construction of scientific facts in the press, especially in science news related to medicine, and that professional bibliometric expertise struggles to be represented in newspapers and hence reach the general public.
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Abstract
Reflexive metrics is a branch of science studies that explores how the demand for accountability and performance measurement in science has shaped the research culture in recent decades. Hypercompetition and publication pressure are part of this neoliberal culture. How do scientists respond to these pressures? Studies on research integrity and organisational culture suggest that people who feel treated unfairly by their institution are more likely to engage in deviant behaviour, such as scientific misconduct. By building up on reflexive metrics, combined with studies on the influence of organisational culture on research integrity, this study reflects on the research behaviour of astronomers with the following questions: (1) To what extent is research (mis-)behaviour reflexive, i.e., dependent on perceptions of publication pressure and distributive and organisational justice? (2) What impact does scientific misconduct have on research quality? In order to perform this reflection, we conducted a comprehensive survey of academic and non-academic astronomers worldwide and received 3509 responses. We found that publication pressure explains 10% of the variance in occurrence of misconduct and between 7% and 13% of the variance of the perception of distributive and organisational justice as well as overcommitment to work. Our results on the perceived impact of scientific misconduct on research quality show that the epistemic harm of questionable research practices should not be underestimated. This suggests there is a need for a policy change. In particular, lesser attention to metrics (such as publication rate) in the allocation of grants, telescope time and institutional rewards would foster better scientific conduct and, hence, research quality.
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Hladchenko M, Moed HF. The effect of publication traditions and requirements in research assessment and funding policies upon the use of national journals in 28 post-socialist countries. J Informetr 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2021.101190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Falkenberg RI. Re-invent Yourself! How Demands for Innovativeness Reshape Epistemic Practices. MINERVA 2021; 59:423-444. [PMID: 34121774 PMCID: PMC8184871 DOI: 10.1007/s11024-021-09447-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the current research landscape, there are increasing demands for research to be innovative and cutting-edge. At the same time, concerns are voiced that as a consequence of neoliberal regimes of research governance, innovative research becomes impeded. In this paper, I suggest that to gain a better understanding of these dynamics, it is indispensable to scrutinise current demands for innovativeness as a distinct way of ascribing worth to research. Drawing on interviews and focus groups produced in a close collaboration with three research groups from the crop and soil sciences, I develop the notion of a project-innovation regime of valuation that can be traced in the sphere of research. In this evaluative framework, it is considered valuable to constantly re-invent oneself and take 'first steps' instead of 'just' following up on previous findings. Subsequently, I describe how these demands for innovativeness relate to and often clash with other regimes of valuation that matter for researchers' practices. I show that valuations of innovativeness are in many ways bound to those of productivity and competitiveness, but that these two regimes are nevertheless sometimes in tension with each other, creating a complicated double bind for researchers. Moreover, I highlight that also the project-innovation regime as such is not always in line with what researchers considered as a valuable progress of knowledge, especially because it entails a de-valuation of certain kinds of long-term epistemic agendas. I show that prevailing pushes for innovativeness seem to be based on a rather short-sighted temporal imaginary of scientific progress that is hardly grounded in the complex realities of research practices, and that they can reshape epistemic practices in potentially problematic ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth I. Falkenberg
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform Responsible Research and Innovation in Academic Practice, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Abstract
Abstract
Metrics on scientific publications and their citations are easily accessible and are often referred to in assessments of research and researchers. This paper addresses whether metrics are considered a legitimate and integral part of such assessments. Based on an extensive questionnaire survey in three countries, the opinions of researchers are analysed. We provide comparisons across academic fields (cardiology, economics, and physics) and contexts for assessing research (identifying the best research in their field, assessing grant proposals and assessing candidates for positions). A minority of the researchers responding to the survey reported that metrics were reasons for considering something to be the best research. Still, a large majority in all the studied fields indicated that metrics were important or partly important in their review of grant proposals and assessments of candidates for academic positions. In these contexts, the citation impact of the publications and, particularly, the number of publications were emphasized. These findings hold across all fields analysed, still the economists relied more on productivity measures than the cardiologists and the physicists. Moreover, reviewers with high scores on bibliometric indicators seemed more frequently (than other reviewers) to adhere to metrics in their assessments. Hence, when planning and using peer review, one should be aware that reviewers—in particular reviewers who score high on metrics—find metrics to be a good proxy for the future success of projects and candidates, and rely on metrics in their evaluation procedures despite the concerns in scientific communities on the use and misuse of publication metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Langfeldt
- Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), P.O. Box 2815 Tøyen, N- 0608 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingvild Reymert
- Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), P.O. Box 2815 Tøyen, N- 0608 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag W Aksnes
- Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), P.O. Box 2815 Tøyen, N- 0608 Oslo, Norway
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11
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How academic researchers select collaborative research projects: a choice experiment. JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10961-020-09833-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough many studies have been conducted on the drivers of and barriers to research collaborations, current literature provides limited insights into the ways in which individual researchers choose to engage in different collaborative projects. Using a choice experiment, we studied the factors that drive this choice using a representative sample of 3145 researchers from Western Europe and North America who publish in English. We find that for most researchers, the expected publication of research in scientific journals deriving from a project is the most decisive factor driving their collaboration choices. Moreover, most respondents prefer to collaborate with other partners than industry. However, different factors’ influence varies across groups of researchers. These groups are characterised as going for the ‘puzzle’ (60% of the sample), the ‘ribbon’ (33%) or the ‘gold’ (8%), i.e., primarily oriented toward intellectual goals, recognition or money, respectively. This heterogeneity shows that a combination of interventions will be required for governments aiming to promote university–industry collaborations.
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Penders B, Lutz P, Shaw DM, Townend DMR. Allonymous science: the politics of placing and shifting credit in public-private nutrition research. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2020; 16:4. [PMID: 32567015 PMCID: PMC7309978 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-020-00099-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ideally, guidelines reflect an accepted position with respect to matters of concern, ranging from clinical practices to researcher behaviour. Upon close reading, authorship guidelines reserve authorship attribution to individuals fully or almost fully embedded in particular studies, including design or execution as well as significant involvement in the writing process. These requirements prescribe an organisation of scientific work in which this embedding is specifically enabled. Drawing from interviews with nutrition scientists at universities and in the food industry, we demonstrate that the organisation of research labour can deviate significantly from such prescriptions. The organisation of labour, regardless of its content, then, has consequences for who qualifies as an author. The fact that fewer food industry employees qualify is actively used by the food industry to manage the credibility and ownership of their knowledge claims as allonymous science: the attribution of science assisted by authorship guidelines blind to all but one organisational frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, NL-6200 MD, the Netherlands.
| | - Peter Lutz
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, NL-6200 MD, the Netherlands
- School of Information Technology, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - David M Shaw
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, NL-6200 MD, the Netherlands
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David M R Townend
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, NL-6200 MD, the Netherlands
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13
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Abstract
Most scientometricians reject the use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles and their authors. The well-known San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment also strongly objects against this way of using the impact factor. Arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles are often based on statistical considerations. The skewness of journal citation distributions typically plays a central role in these arguments. We present a theoretical analysis of statistical arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles. Our analysis shows that these arguments do not support the conclusion that the impact factor should not be used for assessing individual articles. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate that under certain conditions the number of citations an article has received is a more accurate indicator of the value of the article than the impact factor. However, under other conditions, the impact factor is a more accurate indicator. It is important to critically discuss the dominant role of the impact factor in research evaluations, but the discussion should not be based on misplaced statistical arguments. Instead, the primary focus should be on the socio-technical implications of the use of the impact factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludo Waltman
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent A. Traag
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Waltman L, Traag VA. Use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles need not be statistically wrong. F1000Res 2020; 9:366. [PMID: 33796272 PMCID: PMC7974631 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.23418.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Most scientometricians reject the use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles and their authors. The well-known San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment also strongly objects against this way of using the impact factor. Arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles are often based on statistical considerations. The skewness of journal citation distributions typically plays a central role in these arguments. We present a theoretical analysis of statistical arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles. Our analysis shows that these arguments do not support the conclusion that the impact factor should not be used for assessing individual articles. In fact, our computer simulations demonstrate the possibility that the impact factor is a more accurate indicator of the value of an article than the number of citations the article has received. It is important to critically discuss the dominant role of the impact factor in research evaluations, but the discussion should not be based on misplaced statistical arguments. Instead, the primary focus should be on the socio-technical implications of the use of the impact factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludo Waltman
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent A. Traag
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Kaltenbrunner W, de Rijcke S. Filling in the gaps: The interpretation of curricula vitae in peer review. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2019; 49:863-883. [PMID: 31342878 PMCID: PMC6902905 DOI: 10.1177/0306312719864164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we study the use of curricula vitae (CV) for competitive funding decisions in science. The typically sober administrative style of academic résumés evokes the impression of straightforwardly conveyed, objective evidence on which to base comparisons of past achievements and future potentials. We instead conceptualize the evaluation of biographical evidence as a generative interplay between an historically grown, administrative infrastructure (the CV), and a situated evaluative practice in which the representational function of that infrastructure is itself interpreted and established. The use of CVs in peer review can be seen as a doubly comparative practice, where referees compare not only applicants (among each other or to an imagined ideal of excellence), but also their own experience-based understanding of practice and the conceptual assumptions that underpin CV categories. Empirically, we add to existing literature on peer review by drawing attention to self-correcting mechanisms in the reproduction of the scientific workforce. Conceptually, we distinguish three modalities of how the doubly comparative use of CVs can shape the assessment of applicants: calibration, branching out, and repair. The outcome of this reflexive work should not be seen as predetermined by situational pressures. In fact, bibliographic categories such as authorship of publications or performance metrics may themselves come to be problematized and reshaped in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah de Rijcke
- Center for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands
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Söderlind J, Geschwind L. Making sense of academic work: the influence of performance measurement in Swedish universities. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/23322969.2018.1564354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Söderlind
- Department of Learning, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Geschwind
- Department of Learning, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Larivière V, Sugimoto CR. The Journal Impact Factor: A Brief History, Critique, and Discussion of Adverse Effects. SPRINGER HANDBOOK OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INDICATORS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-02511-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Hume VJ, Wainwright M. Reflections on a field across time and space: the emergent medical and health humanities in South Africa. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2018; 44:263-269. [PMID: 30482818 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2018-011475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we draw on our own cross-cultural experience of engaging with different incarnations of the medical and health humanities (MHH) in the UK and South Africa to reflect on what is distinct and the same about MHH in these locations. MHH spaces, whether departments, programmes or networks, have espoused a common critique of biomedical dualism and reductionism, a celebration of qualitative evidence and the value of visual and performative arts for their research, therapeutic and transformative social potential. However, there have also been differences, and importantly a different 'identity' among some leading South African scholars and practitioners, who have felt that if MHH were to speak from the South as opposed to the North, they would say something quite different. We seek to contextualise our personal reflections on the development of the field in South Africa over recent years within wider debates about MHH in the context of South African academia and practice, drawing in part on interviews conducted by one of the authors with South African researchers and practitioners and our own reflections as 'Northerners' in the 'South'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Wainwright
- Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, UK
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Penders B. Why public dismissal of nutrition science makes sense: Post-truth, public accountability and dietary credibility. BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL (CROYDON, ENGLAND) 2018; 120:1953-1964. [PMID: 30581197 PMCID: PMC6289090 DOI: 10.1108/bfj-10-2017-0558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to critically engage with societal origins of public (dis)trust and public credibility of nutrition science and offer suggestions for addressing its public dismissal. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH This viewpoint presents a conceptual analysis of public dismissal of nutrition science, drawing together perspectives on the relationships between science and society from the history, sociology and philosophy of science. FINDINGS The origin of trust amongst scientists relies is actively tied to their social and moral status and science as a cultural activity is inextricably linked to institutions of power. Accordingly, trust in science relies heavily on public perceptions of those institutions, the ways in which citizens feel represented by them, and to what extent citizens consider these institutions to be held accountable. Ignoring this origin leads to expectations of science and scientists they cannot live up to and inevitable disappointment in those holding such expectations. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS Managing responsible expectations asks that we first dismiss dominant portrayals of science as pure, neutral, value-free and fuelled by curiosity. Second, we should pursue a reorganisation of science, favouring social inclusiveness over scientific exceptionalism. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Post-truth dynamics are a source of concern in the dissemination of nutrition science. Rather than dismissing it as a consequence of public ignorance, a comprehensive engagement with post-truth arguments allows a constructive repositioning of nutrition science organisation and communication. It asks that we design research programmes and studies differently, incorporate different voices. Above all else, it asks humility of researchers and tolerant approaches to other perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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21
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Hammarfelt B, Haddow G. Conflicting measures and values: How humanities scholars in Australia and Sweden use and react to bibliometric indicators. J Assoc Inf Sci Technol 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/asi.24043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Björn Hammarfelt
- Swedish School of Library and Information Science; University of Borås, Allégatan 1; Borås 501 90 Sweden
| | - Gaby Haddow
- Department of Information Studies, School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts; Curtin University, GPO Box U1987; Perth Western Australia 6845
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Shaw DM, Penders B. Gatekeepers of Reward: a Pilot Study on the Ethics of Editing and Competing Evaluations of Value. JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC ETHICS 2018; 16:211-223. [PMID: 30956629 PMCID: PMC6417389 DOI: 10.1007/s10805-018-9305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The reward infrastructure in science centres on publication, in which journal editors play a key role. Reward distribution hinges on value assessments performed by editors, who draw from plural value systems to judge manuscripts. This conceptual paper examines the numerous biases and other factors that affect editorial decisions. Hybrid and often conflicting value systems contribute to an infrastructure in which editors manage reward through editorial review, commissioned commentaries and reviews and weighing of peer review judgments. Taken together, these systems and processes push the editor into a role resembling censorship. Editors and authors both experience this phenomenon as an unintended side-effect of the reward infrastructure in science. To work towards a more constructive editor-author relationship, we propose a conversation, an exchange between editor and author in which value is collectively assessed (or constructed) as obligatory passage points in the publishing process are traversed. This paper contributes to the discourse on editorial practices by problematising editorial paradigms in a new way and suggesting solutions to entrenched problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Shaw
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society; Care and Public Health Research Institute (Caphri), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, Limburg, 6200MD, the Netherlands
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bart Penders
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society; Care and Public Health Research Institute (Caphri), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht, Limburg, 6200MD, the Netherlands
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Dahler-Larsen P. Making citations of publications in languages other than English visible: On the feasibility of a PLOTE-index. RESEARCH EVALUATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvy010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Dahler-Larsen
- Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, CSS, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark
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25
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Penders B. Beyond Trust: Plagiarism and Truth. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2018; 15:29-32. [PMID: 29234992 PMCID: PMC5897471 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-017-9825-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Academic misconduct distorts the relationship between scientific practice and the knowledge it produces. The relationship between science and the knowledge it produces is, however, not something universally agreed upon. In this paper I will critically discuss the moral status of an act of research misconduct, namely plagiarism, in the context of different epistemological positions. While from a positivist view of science, plagiarism only influences trust in science but not the content of the scientific corpus, from a constructivist point of view both are at stake. Consequently, I argue that discussions of research misconduct and responsible research ought to be explicitly informed by the authors' views on the relationship between science and the knowledge it produces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- Care and Public Health Research Institute (Caphri), Department of Health, Ethics and Society (HES), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, NL-6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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26
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Penders B. All for one or one for all? Authorship and the cross-sectoral valuation of credit in nutrition science. Account Res 2017; 24:433-450. [PMID: 29035082 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2017.1386565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The passionate pursuit of authorships is fuelled by the value they represent to scholars and scientists. This article asks how this value differs across scientists and how these different processes of valuation inform authorship articulation, strategies, and publication behavior in general. Drawing from a qualitative analysis of authorship practices among nutrition scientists employed at universities, contract research organizations, and in food industry, I argue that two different modi operandi emerge when it comes to authorship. These different ways of working produce different collaborative approaches, different credit distribution strategies amongst collaborators, and different value placed upon (the pursuit of) authorship. These different valuation processes are neither explicit nor recognizable to those reading (and judging) author lists. As a consequence, in the politics of authorship, the names standing atop a scientific publication in nutrition science represent different types of value to both the individuals and employing organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- a Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI) , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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27
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Abstract
Purpose
The publication oeuvre of a researcher carries great value when academic careers are assessed, and being recognised as a successful candidate is usually equated with being a productive author. Yet, how publications are valued in the context of evaluating careers is so far an understudied topic. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a content analysis of assessment reports in three disciplines – biomedicine, economics and history – this paper analyses how externalities are used to evaluate publication oeuvres. Externalities are defined as features such as reviews and bibliometric indicators, which can be assessed without evaluating the epistemological claims made in the actual text.
Findings
All three fields emphasise similar aspects when assessing: authorship, publication prestige, temporality of research, reputation within the field and boundary keeping. Yet, how these facets of quality are evaluated, and the means through which they are assessed differs between disciplines. Moreover, research fields orient themselves according to different temporal horizons, i.e. history looks to the past and economics to the future when research is evaluated.
Research limitations/implications
The complexities involved in the process of evaluating candidates are also reflected in the findings, and while the comparative approach taken effectively highlights domain specific differences it may also hide counter-narratives, and subtle intradisciplinary discussion on quality.
Originality/value
This study offers a novel perspective on how publications are valued when assessing academic careers. Especially striking is how research across different fields is evaluated through different time horizons. This finding is significant in the debate on more overarching and formal systems of research evaluation.
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28
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Why do you publish? On the tensions between generating scientific knowledge and publication pressure. ASLIB J INFORM MANAG 2017. [DOI: 10.1108/ajim-01-2017-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine researchers’ motivations to publish by comparing different career stages (PhD students; temporarily employed postdocs/new professors; scholars with permanent employment) with regard to epistemic, pragmatic, and personal motives.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative analysis is mainly based on semi-structured narrative interviews with 91 researchers in the humanities, social, and natural sciences, based at six renowned (anonymous) universities in Germany, the UK, and the USA. These narratives contain answers to the direct question “why do you publish?” as well as remarks on motivations to publish in relation to other questions and themes. The interdisciplinary interpretation is based on both sociological science studies and philosophy of science in practice.
Findings
At each career stage, epistemic, pragmatic, and personal motivations to publish are weighed differently. Confirming earlier studies, the authors find that PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in temporary positions mainly feel pressured to publish for career-related reasons. However, across status groups, researchers also want to publish in order to support collective knowledge generation.
Research limitations/implications
The sample of interviewees may be biased toward those interested in reflecting on their day-to-day work.
Social implications
Continuous and collective reflection is imperative for preventing uncritical internalization of pragmatic reasons to publish. Creating occasions for reflection is a task not only of researchers themselves, but also of administrators, funders, and other stakeholders.
Originality/value
Most studies have illuminated how researchers publish while adapting to or growing into the contemporary publish-or-perish culture. This paper addresses the rarely asked question why researchers publish at all.
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29
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Hobson’s choice: the effects of research evaluation on academics’ writing practices in England. ASLIB J INFORM MANAG 2017. [DOI: 10.1108/ajim-12-2016-0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of research evaluation policies and their interpretation on academics’ writing practices in three different higher education institutions and across three different disciplines. Specifically, the paper discusses how England’s national research excellence framework (REF) and institutional responses to it shape the decisions academics make about their writing.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 49 academics at three English universities were interviewed. The academics were from one Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics discipline (mathematics), one humanities discipline (history) and one applied discipline (marketing). Repeated semi-structured interviews focussed on different aspects of academics’ writing practices. Heads of departments and administrative staff were also interviewed. Data were coded using the qualitative data analysis software, ATLAS.ti.
Findings
Academics’ ability to succeed in their career was closely tied to their ability to meet quantitative and qualitative targets driven by research evaluation systems, but these were predicated on an unrealistic understanding of knowledge creation. Research evaluation systems limited the epistemic choices available to academics, partly because they pushed academics’ writing towards genres and publication venues that conflicted with disciplinary traditions and partly because they were evenly distributed across institutions and age groups.
Originality/value
This work fills a gap in the literature by offering empirical and qualitative findings on the effects of research evaluation systems in context. It is also one of the only papers to focus on the ways in which individuals’ academic writing practices in particular are shaped by such systems.
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31
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Bornmann L, Williams R. Can the journal impact factor be used as a criterion for the selection of junior researchers? A large-scale empirical study based on ResearcherID data. J Informetr 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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32
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Müller R, de Rijcke S. Thinking with indicators. Exploring the epistemic impacts of academic performance indicators in the life sciences. RESEARCH EVALUATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvx023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Müller
- Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS) & School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Augustenstraße 46, München, Germany
| | - Sarah de Rijcke
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 62A, Leiden, AL, The Netherlands
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33
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Zahedi Z, Costas R, Wouters P. Mendeley readership as a filtering tool to identify highly cited publications. J Assoc Inf Sci Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/asi.23883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Zahedi
- CWTS, Leiden University, P.O. Box 905; Leiden 2300 AX The Netherlands
| | - Rodrigo Costas
- CWTS, Leiden University, P.O. Box 905; Leiden 2300 AX The Netherlands
| | - Paul Wouters
- CWTS, Leiden University, P.O. Box 905; Leiden 2300 AX The Netherlands
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Hammarfelt B, Rushforth AD. Indicators as judgment devices: An empirical study of citizen bibliometrics in research evaluation. RESEARCH EVALUATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvx018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Nair V. Changing paradigm in the scientific publication process: Are we encouraging Science or Pseudoscience? Urgent need for introspection and self regulation. Med J Armed Forces India 2017; 73:107-109. [PMID: 28924307 PMCID: PMC5592257 DOI: 10.1016/j.mjafi.2017.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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37
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Penders B. The Value of Vagueness in the Politics of Authorship. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2017; 14:13-15. [PMID: 28039599 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-016-9768-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, School of Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, NL-6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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38
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Milojević S, Radicchi F, Bar-Ilan J. Citation success index − An intuitive pair-wise journal comparison metric. J Informetr 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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39
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Penders B. Letter to the Editor: Respecting the Plurality of Value and the Messiness of Scientific Practice. Account Res 2017; 23:136-8. [PMID: 26252450 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2015.1060128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Evaluations of authorship and recommendations for authorship policies best heed the plurality of valuation cultures that traverse scientific practices and respect the messiness of scientific practices, for those are reflected in authorship and authorship sequence decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Penders
- a Health, Ethics & Society, School of Public Health & Primary Care (CAPHRI) , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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40
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Leydesdorff L, Wouters P, Bornmann L. Professional and citizen bibliometrics: complementarities and ambivalences in the development and use of indicators-a state-of-the-art report. Scientometrics 2016; 109:2129-2150. [PMID: 27942086 PMCID: PMC5124044 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-2150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bibliometric indicators such as journal impact factors, h-indices, and total citation counts are algorithmic artifacts that can be used in research evaluation and management. These artifacts have no meaning by themselves, but receive their meaning from attributions in institutional practices. We distinguish four main stakeholders in these practices: (1) producers of bibliometric data and indicators; (2) bibliometricians who develop and test indicators; (3) research managers who apply the indicators; and (4) the scientists being evaluated with potentially competing career interests. These different positions may lead to different and sometimes conflicting perspectives on the meaning and value of the indicators. The indicators can thus be considered as boundary objects which are socially constructed in translations among these perspectives. This paper proposes an analytical clarification by listing an informed set of (sometimes unsolved) problems in bibliometrics which can also shed light on the tension between simple but invalid indicators that are widely used (e.g., the h-index) and more sophisticated indicators that are not used or cannot be used in evaluation practices because they are not transparent for users, cannot be calculated, or are difficult to interpret.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loet Leydesdorff
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15793, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Wouters
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies CWTS, Leiden University, P.O. Box 905, 2300 AX Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lutz Bornmann
- Division for Science and Innovation Studies, Administrative Headquarters of the Max Planck Society, Hofgartenstr. 8, 80539 Munich, Germany
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41
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Challenges to ethical publishing in the digital era. JOURNAL OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION & ETHICS IN SOCIETY 2016. [DOI: 10.1108/jices-08-2015-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
– The aim of this paper is to lay out some of the more complex issues arising in the area of publication ethics. The impact of electronic publishing and electronic information is a main focus of the paper.
Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws in particular upon the work of the Committee on Publication Ethics including illustrative cases discussed at the forum, guidelines and discussion documents.
Findings
– Three areas are highlighted to stimulate discussion around challenges of publication ethics in the digital era. These are the role of the internet in facilitating misconduct, the issue of confidentiality in publishing and how incentives in research assessments drive author behavior.
Originality/value
– The paper brings together a variety of issues discussed under the broader umbrella of electronic information and new technologies in publishing.
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42
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Fochler M, Felt U, Müller R. Unsustainable Growth, Hyper-Competition, and Worth in Life Science Research: Narrowing Evaluative Repertoires in Doctoral and Postdoctoral Scientists' Work and Lives. MINERVA 2016; 54:175-200. [PMID: 27340295 PMCID: PMC4877438 DOI: 10.1007/s11024-016-9292-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
There is a crisis of valuation practices in the current academic life sciences, triggered by unsustainable growth and "hyper-competition." Quantitative metrics in evaluating researchers are seen as replacing deeper considerations of the quality and novelty of work, as well as substantive care for the societal implications of research. Junior researchers are frequently mentioned as those most strongly affected by these dynamics. However, their own perceptions of these issues are much less frequently considered. This paper aims at contributing to a better understanding of the interplay between how research is valued and how young researchers learn to live, work and produce knowledge within academia. We thus analyze how PhD students and postdocs in the Austrian life sciences ascribe worth to people, objects and practices as they talk about their own present and future lives in research. We draw on literature from the field of valuation studies and its interest in how actors refer to different forms of valuation to account for their actions. We explore how young researchers are socialized into different valuation practices in different stages of their growing into science. Introducing the concept of "regimes of valuation" we show that PhD students relate to a wider evaluative repertoire while postdocs base their decisions on one dominant regime of valuing research. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of these findings for the epistemic and social development of the life sciences, and for other scientific fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Fochler
- />Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Universitaetsstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Felt
- />Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Universitaetsstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Müller
- />Munich Center for Technology in Society, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
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43
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Rijcke SD, Wouters PF, Rushforth AD, Franssen TP, Hammarfelt B. Evaluation practices and effects of indicator use—a literature review. RESEARCH EVALUATION 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvv038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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