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Nobel Prize winners 2016: Igniting or sparking foundational publications?

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaojun Hu

    (Zhejiang University)

  • Ronald Rousseau

    (KU Leuven
    University of Antwerp (UA))

Abstract

The contributions of leading scientists, such as Nobel Prize winners often play an important role in the progress of mankind. In this article, we propose new indices to recognize foundational work in science. Based on case studies of publications by 2016 Nobel Prize winners we make a distinction between two types of fundamental contributions. In a metaphoric way we refer to them as directly igniting or sparking. Our work contains an important message for research evaluation. Besides short-term evaluations it is also important to perform longer term evaluations, otherwise work of Nobel class may fall under the radar and is not rewarded according to its scientific value. It is further suggested that scientometric investigations should not overlook transitional characteristics of scientific progress.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaojun Hu & Ronald Rousseau, 2017. "Nobel Prize winners 2016: Igniting or sparking foundational publications?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(2), pages 1053-1063, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:110:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-016-2205-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-2205-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hu, Xiaojun & Rousseau, Ronald, 2016. "Scientific influence is not always visible: The phenomenon of under-cited influential publications," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 1079-1091.
    2. Richard Van Noorden & Brendan Maher & Regina Nuzzo, 2014. "The top 100 papers," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7524), pages 550-553, October.
    3. Anthony F. J. van Raan, 2004. "Sleeping Beauties in science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 59(3), pages 467-472, March.
    4. Yuxian Liu & Ronald Rousseau, 2014. "Citation analysis and the development of science: A case study using articles by some Nobel prize winners," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 65(2), pages 281-289, February.
    5. Hu, Xiaojun & Rousseau, Ronald & Chen, Jin, 2011. "On the definition of forward and backward citation generations," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 27-36.
    6. Elias Sanz-Casado & Carlos García-Zorita & Ronald Rousseau, 2016. "Using h-cores to study the most-cited articles of the twenty-first century," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(1), pages 243-261, July.
    7. Li, Jiang & Shi, Dongbo & Zhao, Star X. & Ye, Fred Y., 2014. "A study of the “heartbeat spectra” for “sleeping beauties”," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 493-502.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sichao Tong & Per Ahlgren, 2017. "Evolution of three Nobel Prize themes and a Nobel snub theme in chemistry: a bibliometric study with focus on international collaboration," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(1), pages 75-90, July.
    2. Jianhua Hou & Hao Li & Yang Zhang, 2023. "Altmetrics-based sleeping beauties: necessity or just a supplement?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(10), pages 5477-5506, October.
    3. Min, Chao & Bu, Yi & Sun, Jianjun, 2021. "Predicting scientific breakthroughs based on knowledge structure variations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    4. Xian Li & Ronald Rousseau & Liming Liang & Fangjie Xi & Yushuang Lü & Yifan Yuan & Xiaojun Hu, 2022. "Is low interdisciplinarity of references an unexpected characteristic of Nobel Prize winning research?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(4), pages 2105-2122, April.
    5. Ronald Rousseau & Xiaojun Hu, 2018. "Under-cited influential work by Eugene Garfield," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 114(2), pages 651-657, February.
    6. Egghe, Leo & Rousseau, Ronald, 2023. "Global informetric impact: A description and definition using bundles," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    7. Hu, Xiaojun & Rousseau, Ronald, 2018. "A new approach to explore the knowledge transition path in the evolution of science & technology: From the biology of restriction enzymes to their application in biotechnology," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 842-857.

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