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Counting first, last, or all authors in citation analysis: A comprehensive comparison in the highly collaborative stem cell research field

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  • Dangzhi Zhao
  • Andreas Strotmann

Abstract

How can citation analysis take into account the highly collaborative nature and unique research and publication culture of biomedical research fields? This study explores this question by introducing last‐author citation counting and comparing it with traditional first‐author counting and theoretically optimal all‐author counting in the stem cell research field for the years 2004–2009. For citation ranking, last‐author counting, which is directly supported by Scopus but not by ISI databases, appears to approximate all‐author counting quite well in a field where heads of research labs are traditionally listed as last authors; however, first author counting does not. For field mapping, we find that author co‐citation analyses based on different counting methods all produce similar overall intellectual structures of a research field, but detailed structures and minor specialties revealed differ to various degrees and thus require great caution to interpret. This is true especially when authors are selected into the analysis based on citedness, because author selection is found to have a greater effect on mapping results than does choice of co‐citation counting method. Findings are based on a comprehensive, high‐quality dataset extracted in several steps from PubMed and Scopus and subjected to automatic reference and author name disambiguation.

Suggested Citation

  • Dangzhi Zhao & Andreas Strotmann, 2011. "Counting first, last, or all authors in citation analysis: A comprehensive comparison in the highly collaborative stem cell research field," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 62(4), pages 654-676, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamist:v:62:y:2011:i:4:p:654-676
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.21495
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    Cited by:

    1. Xuan Zhen Liu & Hui Fang, 2014. "Scientific group leaders’ authorship preferences: an empirical investigation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(2), pages 909-925, February.
    2. Perianes-Rodriguez, Antonio & Waltman, Ludo & van Eck, Nees Jan, 2016. "Constructing bibliometric networks: A comparison between full and fractional counting," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 1178-1195.
    3. Yezhu Wang & Yundong Xie & Dong Wang & Lu Guo & Rongting Zhou, 2022. "Do cover papers get better citations and usage counts? An analysis of 42 journals in cell biology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(7), pages 3793-3813, July.
    4. Adele Parmentola & Antonella Petrillo & Ilaria Tutore & Fabio De Felice, 2022. "Is blockchain able to enhance environmental sustainability? A systematic review and research agenda from the perspective of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 194-217, January.
    5. Kim, Ha Jin & Jeong, Yoo Kyung & Song, Min, 2016. "Content- and proximity-based author co-citation analysis using citation sentences," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 954-966.
    6. Jiang Wu & Xiu-Hao Ding, 2013. "Author name disambiguation in scientific collaboration and mobility cases," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 96(3), pages 683-697, September.
    7. Jeong, Yoo Kyung & Song, Min & Ding, Ying, 2014. "Content-based author co-citation analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 197-211.
    8. Yang, Siluo & Han, Ruizhen & Wolfram, Dietmar & Zhao, Yuehua, 2016. "Visualizing the intellectual structure of information science (2006–2015): Introducing author keyword coupling analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 132-150.
    9. Wang, Feifei & Jia, Chenran & Wang, Xiaohan & Liu, Junwan & Xu, Shuo & Liu, Yang & Yang, Chenyuyan, 2019. "Exploring all-author tripartite citation networks: A case study of gene editing," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 856-873.

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